Highgate is looking very pretty and Christmassy under its blanket of snow this weekend, but local councils are

reminding residents to take care and prepare for some travel and service

disruptions. Here's a quick round-up of local services.

 

Roads and pavements

Main routes through the area

are looked after by Transport for London and have been kept open thanks

to 24-hour gritting plans. Teams from Haringey and Camden councils

have also been out gritting key routes, and Haringey has

increased the number of grit bins in the are for residents' use. Camden has suspended street cleaning to allow teams to grit instead.

Not

all roads will be gritted and even gritted pavements can still be

slippery with melted slush, so the advice remains to be careful when

out on the streets. Check our our winter driving tips

if heading out in the car, and remember the number one tip for winter

conditions is to stay at home if your journey can be avoided. Remember

to take blankets, a flask of hot drink and a fully-charged mobile phone

with you.

Icy roads and pavements can be reported online to Haringey council here or on 020 8489 1000. Report an empty grit bin in Camden by calling 020 7974 6914.

Rubbish and recycling services are currently operating as normal. Follow Camden's Twitter updates at http://twitter.com/camdentalking.

Parks and Leisure facilities

Outdoor spaces may be closed

and access restricted if the snow continues. Take care when walking

with children to play areas as these pavements may not be gritted. Stay away from frozen ponds - they may look solid, but there's no way to tell.

Many leisure centres are closing early in the current conditions and some are closed completely for the weekend, so check http://www.aquaterra.org/facilities.aspx for local lesire centre details and call before you leave.

Travel and transport

Delays are likely on

Underground routes. TfL is currently reporting a good service on the Northern Line - check before

you travel at http://www.tfl.gov.uk/tfl/livetravelnews/realtime/tube/default.html and leave extra time for your journey.

Heathrow

Airport is not accepting arrivals today (Sunday 19

December) due to a buildup of ice, and will only manage a few

departures - contact your airline before travelling to the airport. The

airport is preparing for a  for a full re-opening on Monday. For

further

information and updates see this page. Gatwick and Stansted are open, but delays are likely.

Enjoy

the snow but do wrap up warm and keep an eye on elderly neighbours. Let

us know if any services near you are closed or disrupted.

Image: benleto