The Highland Council’s winter maintenance programme started on Saturday October 14.
Responsible for 6,766km of roads, the council is utilising a winter fleet that includes 105 gritters, 42 footpath tractors and over 200 staff providing winter maintenance services.
Its stock of 34,000 tonnes of salt is believed to be adequate for the season and there is no concern about future provision of deliveries.
Additionally, staff involved in winter services provision at area level are trained in using the council’s weather forecasting service, which is used each year to aid decision-making on both daily and long-term actions.
Chairperson of the council’s Environment, Development and Infrastructure Committee, Councillor Ken Gowans, said service levels would remain essentially unchanged from last year, with operations running from Monday to Saturday between 6am and 9pm, and from 7am on Sundays and public holidays.
Councillor Gowans said: “We have the supplies and resources in place to provide a winter service according to the council’s policy. Council roads and pavements are gritted as specified within the council’s agreed winter maintenance policy. Details of the council’s highland wide and local area gritting policies and maps are on the council’s website at www.highland.gov.uk/gritting.
“We will continue to do what it can within our resources and policy; however, I would encourage communities to come forward and apply for winter resilience assistance from the council that will provide them with salt in grit bins or heaps and other equipment to take action in their local areas that are important to them.”
Anyone who requires further information or winter resilience assistance can contact their area roads office by email or visit the winter roads maintenance page on the council’s website.
While the Highland Council is responsible for many roads in the area, trunk roads are the responsibility of Transport Scotland and their operators BEAR Scotland. It’s winter programme started on October 1, with more details available on the BEAR Scotland website.
cap: 105 gritters are included in the Highland Council’s winter fleet.