​​​​​​​Highland Council is ready for winter

For further information visit www.highland.gov.uk/gritting

The Highland Council is ready for winter and has been gritting council roads and pavements according to the council’s winter maintenance programme.

Trunk roads in Highland are the responsibility of Transport Scotland and their operators Bear Scotland.

Highland Council roads are gritted according to priority routes approved by local Councillors at Area Committees. Gritting is on weekdays Mondays to Fridays from between 6am and 9pm. Treatment after 6pm is generally restricted to ‘primary’ routes only.

On Saturdays and Sundays, the weekend service covers primary, strategic secondary and difficult ‘other’ routes between 6am and 9pm. Treatment after 6pm is also generally restricted to primary routes only.

The council has adequate salt stocks for the region using around 50,000 tonnes in the winter season. There are no concerns about future provision of deliveries from the council’s supplier.

The winter fleet includes 105 gritters, 42 footpath tractors, 2 snowblowers and over 200 staff providing winter maintenance services.

Staff involved in winter services provision at area level are trained in using the Council’s weather forecasting service. The forecasts are used to assist local decision-making on daily and longer-term winter services actions.

Chair of the Council’s Communities and Place Committee, Cllr Allan Henderson said:

“We have supplies and resources in place to provide a winter service this year on Highland Council roads and pavements according to Council policy.  Details of the highland wide and local area gritting policies and maps are on the council’s website at www.highland.gov.uk/gritting.

“The Council will continue to do what it can within its 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.”

Within its winter roads maintenance budget of £5 million for 2019/20, the Council is ready to salt - according to its policy – the 6,752 km of roads for which the Council has responsibility.

Area Winter Maintenance Plans are set by Area Committees within Council strategy and budget allocated.

For further information visit www.highland.gov.uk/gritting