Emergency measures remain in place to conserve winter salt supplies

Members of The Highland Council’s Transport Environmental and Community Services Committee have agreed that emergency measures to conserve road salt should remain in place until the stock returns to a sustainable level of 12,800 tonnes, which provides eight days of supply at heavy usage.

The latest stock level stands at 12,300 tonnes and it is hoped that the restrictions can be lifted by the end of next week, if further scheduled salt supplies arrive. At this time last year, the stock stood at 5,055 tonnes.

The emergency measures were introduced on 23 December, last year, when there was a danger of exhausting the stock before the end of the year if the consumption had continued at its maximum of 2,200 tonnes per day. By that time, the Council had used 40,300 tonnes.

Even before 23 December, the Council had reduced consumption to 1,600 tonnes per day by mixing salt with grit, which is permissible under the Council’s Winter Maintenance policy. 

As a consequence of the emergency measures, low priority routes are treated with grit only. Low priority routes are defined as Priority 3 and 4 routes in the Council’s winter maintenance policy. If dangerous road conditions develop on Priority 3 and 4 routes, and salt is required to treat ice, efforts are made to treat localised sections with salt in the interests of public safety.

Committee members also heard that following the very cold temperatures experienced last year the Scottish Government had provided £5 million to local authorities for road repairs. Highland’s share was £552,000, The Council also provided £1.1 million to deal with the additional damage to the road network.  The Scottish Government had announced that £15 million will be provided to local authorities to assist with the additional damage caused during the current winter period.  The allocation of funding between Councils is still to be announced.