Supporting Highland Council Winter Gritting and COVID Response Efforts

7th January 2021

The Council wishes to provide re-assurance to communities that it's Winter Gritting teams are continuing to work extremely hard throughout the area during the current lock-down, providing a road and pavement gritting service following the Council's policy on prioritisation of routes. 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.

The Council has recently invested in 10 new winter gritting vehicles to replace some of the aging fleet and brings the Council’s winter fleet to 105 Gritters, 42 Footpath tractors, and 1 snowblower with over 200 staff who spread around 50,000 tonnes of salt on Highlands roads and pavements in a typical winter.

With the current COVID pandemic, the Council is committed to doing everything it can to reduce the pressure on the NHS from those suffering from falls or slips due to winter weather. The Council is extending coverage where possible by bringing in additional council resources to enhance services related to pavement gritting. In addition, and as in previous years, the Council is offering assistance to communities who wish to take action in their own area to help clear snow and ice from footpaths by providing salt in either bins or heaps, snow shovels and pushers, gloves and hi-vis vests, health and safety advice to volunteers and public liability insurance. Full guidance and an application form can be found on the [url=https://www.highland.gov.uk/info/20005/roads_and_pavements/99/roads_information/7]Council’s website here[/url]

Communities are asked to help identify the most suitable locations for these by either completion of the form on the web-site, or by contacting the following addresses:

Roads.Caithness@highland.gov.uk

Roads.Sutherland@highland.gov.uk

Roads.LNBS@highland.gov.uk

Roads.RossandCromarty@highland.gov.uk

Roads.SkyeandLochalsh@highland.gov.uk

Roads.Inverness@highland.gov.uk

Roads.LNBS@highland.gov.uk

Roads.LNBS@highland.gov.uk

Trish Robertson, Chair of the Council’s Economy and Infrastructure Committee said: "The Council is working hard to deliver our winter gritting services despite the challenges that the COVID pandemic is putting in front of us. Recognising the challenges being faced by the NHS, we want to do as much as possible to avoid the risk of slips and falls, and allow people to be able to get out and about as much as possible. If communities are able to assist in providing enhanced or more localised services, there is an opportunity for salt to be delivered to locations along with equipment to assist in spreading.

The link on the Council’s web-site gives further information, and I would urge any community or resilience groups who have capacity to help to get in touch and our local teams will help advise on appropriate locations for salt storage."