2024/25 Winter maintenance plan approved for Wester Ross, Strathpeffer and Lochalsh
The Winter Maintenance Plan for Wester Ross, Strathpeffer and Lochalsh for this coming winter was approved by Members of the Area Committee who met on Monday (12 August 2024).
Wester Ross, Strathpeffer and Lochalsh Committee Chair, Cllr Biz Campbell said: “We are all aware that winter weather can be challenging, so it’s important we put plans in place early to ensure the gritting policy, winter maintenance team and the equipment and supplies required are in place and ready to delivery when the winter weather arrives.
“The Highland Council has an approved list of priority routes for treatment and I encourage people living and working in Ward 5 to familiarise themselves with the gritting maps for the area specific to them.”
The winter service for the area is provided from the following depots:-
• Silverbridge;
• Achiltibuie;
• Ullapool;
• Gairloch;
• Applecross;
• Lochcarron;
• Ardelve;
• Glenelg.
A Duty Officer rota is operated to ensure that there is always a suitably qualified and experienced member of staff available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, to take decisions on the deployment of appropriate resources to deal with the prevailing weather conditions.
The area road network covers 799 kilometres - Primary 268km; Secondary 222km and Other 309km. The plan explains that primary routes are treated first, followed by secondary routes and then all ‘other’ routes as resources permit.
The number of frontline gritting vehicles for the area is 13 with an additional 5 footpath tractors.
All operations begin at 6am and can continue to 9pm. Saturday and Sunday operations also begin at 6am and treat primary routes, strategic secondary routes excluding school transport routes and difficult other routes.
Councillor Campbell added: “It isn’t possible to treat every road and path; however, the dedicated team we have providing winter services work very hard in often extremely challenging conditions to keep roads open and safe and to best meet the needs of our communities with the resources available to them.”
“We continue to encourage ‘Community self-help’, under the Council’s ‘Winter Resilience’ scheme, where communities can submit applications via their community council to carry out footway gritting operations.”
Applications for the Winter Resilience scheme can be made on the Council’s website
The Council’s Winter Service Policy is in place to ensure a consistent level of service between areas and to ensure, as far as possible, the safety of drivers and pedestrians. However, the operation of that Policy does not, and cannot, ensure that every road and footway will be free of ice or snow at all times.
The Council publishes “Winter Services” leaflets for each operational area providing the public with information on snow clearing and gritting of Council roads along with maps showing the priority attributed to individual roads.
The leaflets and Policy information are provided on the “Winter Road Maintenance” pages on the Council’s website
Salting will not prevent roads from icing up in extreme conditions. This is particularly relevant on low traffic roads where there are insufficient vehicle movements to aid the interaction between the salt and the ice crystals.
• Drivers should take account of prevailing weather and road conditions.
• Winter weather conditions within the Highlands can be very localised.
• Black ice can be a particular danger. You cannot see it and it can still be there even after treatment.
Dawn frosts can also catch drivers unaware. At first light a clear sky will allow heat to radiate quickly from the road surface causing icy patches to form on wet or damp roads.
Prepare your vehicle:
• Make sure your vehicle is fit for the journey.
• Top up the windscreen-washer.
• Check that all your lights are working – remember ‘it’s not to see, but to be seen’.
• Check your tyre pressures and tread depths.
• Consider the benefits of fitting winter tyres, particularly if you are driving in rural areas.
• Prepare for frost by keeping a de-icer spray and scraper in the car. Prepare yourself.
Prepare yourself:
• Take a blanket or extra warm clothing.
• Take a flask with a hot drink and some food.
• Take a torch, boots and a shovel.