Snow and Ice Management
The University gives a high priority to enabling safe access during periods of extreme weather, when the campus may be covered in snow and ice.
Snow and ice clearing is carried out by different teams, prioritising major routes on campus. Consult our snow and ice gritting map for more information.
The Security Office monitors prevailing weather conditions and will activate the call-out service as needed. SEF's Ground Maintenance and Porterage service teams are responsible for the safe treatment of ice and snow, and provide a full emergency call-out service.
For more information on ice and snow generally, including communications and decisions over closure of campus, refer to the snow and ice procedures on the Health and Safety website.
Roads and car parks - Priority Clearance
The Grounds Maintenance team will spread salt by means of a tractor with spreader attachment, with areas prioritised as follows:
- Boiler House, Eastern Ring Road to Knights Gate Road to completion.
- Southern Ring Road to underpass entrance to completion.
- Stony Mere Way (ie entrance via Stanmer Park).
- North-South Road via Refectory Road to bus turnaround at Brighthelm to completion.
- Lancaster House Road and Norwich House Road to completion.
- Arts Road and Library Road to completion.
The next priority is car parks in order of condition priority but normally:
- Sports Centre Road car park
- Sussex House car park
- Sussex House visitors car park
- Science (500) car park
- Biology Road car park
- Lewes Court car park
- Pavilion Road car park
- East Slope car park
- IDS car park
We will then revisit all bus routes followed by all other areas that are not responding to treatment.
Our priority is to ensure safe passage to all users with consideration to all emergency vehicles.
Pathways
We prioritise the clearance of areas depicted in light blue on the above snow and ice gritting map as Mobility Requirement, as well as main walkways and paths to allow access to as much of campus as possible. To allow these routes to be cleared, some areas of campus will be off limits after periods of heavy snowfall or very low temperatures, as depicted on the map in dark blue. Closed paths, steps and car parks will be marked with tape and signs. Snow-clearing teams start work as soon as they themselves can get to campus, and therefore not all routes may have been cleared by the time some staff and students arrive.
Please take responsibility for your own safety and take appropriate care during periods of extreme weather. The University cannot guarantee that routes will be kept clear, nor that they will be free of slip and trip hazards.