YOU may have noticed that winter weather has truly set in across Hampshire.

Now Winchester City Council says it is ready to cope with the best that Mother Nature can throw at it.

The Council’s Portfolio Holder for Environment, Health & Wellbeing, Cllr Frank Pearson, was present at the depot at Bar End to see the Special Maintenance Team put through their paces using a portable flood barrier.

Purchased after the floods of February 2014, which left many neighbourhoods in difficulty around the Winchester district, the flood barrier can quickly be deployed to hold back water in the most vulnerable areas.

Elsewhere in the depot, a stock of 500 sandbags has been ordered, and is carefully stored for rapid deployment.

Although residents and businesses are expected to buy in their own sandbags and prepare their premises for severe weather, the emergency stock can be distributed to vulnerable people, used to protect Council properties such as the leisure centre or Abbey House, or used to build temporary neighbourhood defences in a hurry.

Staff are also geared up with 10m3 of salt and two 4x4s for delivery, should the weather turn frosty.

The salt is for well-used paths and public areas, such as outside busy Council premises or areas where vulnerable people are likely to need to go.

The Council’s contractors, the IDverde, also have salt and a spreader ready to grit the public car parks of the Winchester District.

Back at the offices, council staff from across the departments have signed up for refresher training run by the County Council’s Emergency Planning Team.

Scores of staff have learnt how to respond to emergencies of all kinds, including bad weather, and are assigned roles ranging from incident liaison officers reporting back from sites around the area to control room supervisors.

Cllr Pearson believes that the council is ready to face the cold snap, he said: “Winchester’s response to the floods of 2014 was considered to be highly effective and sympathetic.

"With that experience under our belts, and the support of our colleagues from a range of agencies including Hampshire Fire and Rescue and the Environment Agency, we are confident that we can support our residents and businesses through the worst of the winter season ahead.”