Sunderland’s winter maintenance programme officially began this weekend (Saturday 15 November), and the city’s fleet of gritters will be rolling out with a brand‑new look thanks to the creativity of local primary school pupils.
Earlier this autumn, Sunderland City Council invited all primary schools to take part in a gritter naming competition, with each school submitting one suggestion via the CommonPlace platform. A judging panel selected the winning entries at the end of October, ensuring the vehicles were ready to hit the roads under their new names as the winter programme begins.
Each gritter now proudly displays its identity, with a vinyl name on the front and magnetic plaques on each side door.
The winning names are:
· Ice Ice Baby
· Ice to See You!
· Sir Frost A Lot
· It’s Gritmas!
· Gritty Gritty Bang Bang
· Spready Mercury
· Gritney Spears
· The Gritter Monster
· Ready Salted
· The Mackem Melter
· Mr Plough
· Super Salted
Councillor Leonard, Cabinet Member of Environment, NET Zero and Transport at Sunderland City Council said:
“It’s fantastic to see our gritters heading out today with names chosen by Sunderland’s schoolchildren. The creativity and humour in the winning entries will bring a smile to people’s faces when they spot the vehicles on the roads.
“More importantly, this competition has helped raise awareness among pupils about the vital role our winter maintenance programme plays in keeping Sunderland safe and moving during the colder months. I’d like to thank every school that took part and congratulate the winners whose names will now travel across the city all winter long.”
The competition was supported with a fact sheet and colouring‑in activity to help pupils learn more about gritters and their importance in keeping roads safe during icy weather.
Sunderland’s winter maintenance programme runs each year from November until March to ensure the city continues to move safely throughout the winter months.
The gritters spread salt on roads which make up the city’s priority highway routes to keep them safe to use and free of ice. The treatment of the highway network is undertaken on a hierarchical basis, with main arterial roads and primary bus routes receiving treatment first.
Find out about our winter maintenance work at www.sunderland.gov.uk/winter-maintenance
