Comhairle Statement
The last few weeks have seen the onset of winter weather and the Comhairle wishes to reiterate its revised policy on gritting and snow-clearing to the travelling and general public.
Chief executive Malcolm Burr said: “A full review of the Comhairle’s Winter Maintenance Policy and Operational Plan was carried out earlier this year, and the Comhairle approved the new Policy and Plan in September.
The service provided in the past was simply no longer affordable and had resulted in significant overspending in the last two years. The policy provided a more enhanced level of service compared to other areas in the north of Scotland, and changes were accordingly necessary.
To summarise the new policy, gritting operations will not start until 0600 with the highest priority routes (Priority 1 and Priority 2) to be completed by 0730 and 0830 respectively with the lower priority routes (Priority 3 and Priority 4) being treated by 0930 and 1030 respectively. In the event that the gritting of roads is required in the evening, generally only Priority 1 routes will be treated, with an intention of doing so by 1800. Only under exceptional circumstances will any other routes be gritted in the evening.
On Sundays and Local Public Holidays, only Priority 1 and Priority 2 routes will be gritted, in the mornings, starting at 0800 with completion by 0930 and 1030 respectively. In common with the other days of the week, only Priority 1 routes will be treated by 1800; only under exceptional circumstances will any other routes be gritted in the evening.
Details of the policy and of the routes across the Western Isles are available on the Comhairle’s website at www.cne-siar.gov.uk/techservices/wintermaint.asp. The public are encouraged to familiarise themselves with how the details of the prioritisation of routes and the target treatment times affect them and their ability to travel to and from their homes.
The Comhairle’s Director of Technical Services, Iain Mackinnon, emphasised that, in accordance with the Comhairle’s legal responsibilities, the Comhairle shall “take steps as they consider reasonable to prevent snow and ice endangering the safe passage of pedestrians and vehicles over public roads”. Mr Mackinnon confirmed that the terms of the Policy constitute what the Comhairle consider to be reasonable and emphasised that the travelling public are responsible for ensuring their own safety and that of their passengers when travelling in such conditions.
“Excellent advice is available from the Institute of Advanced Motorists (IAM) website on www.drivingadvice.org.uk/media/12310/10_10_2011_winter_driving_tips_pdf.pdf; members of the public should be aware of the risks associated with driving in such conditions and change their driving style to suit the conditions.”
He suggested that members of the public should always carefully consider the weather and road conditions prior to any journey and, in certain conditions, ask how essential the journey is.
The above information is also available from Technical Services at the Council Offices in Stornoway, Tarbert, Balivanich or Castlebay for those who do not have access to the internet.
Unbelievable!
The council are not even adhering to their own new revised gritting policy, just yesterday I was trying to negotiate a snowy / icy stretch of road which they class as a priority 1 route between 10:30 am and 11:00 am, and it had not seen a single bit of grit! Is it going to have to come to a serious or even fatal accident before the council rethink this policy? They cannot just say that people should just keep off the roads, there are some people that have to get around to provide essential services, e.g. home carers, doctors, emergency services, nurses trying to get in to work etc. If they say they cannot afford to provide the gritting service we have had in previous years, then maybe they shouldn’t have spent over £160000 refurbishing the council headquarters reception area and £1000′s more on a refurbishment of the members lounge! Something doesn’t add up if you ask me. Its high time they fired everyone in the whitehouse, and employ a handfull of people who know what they are doing who can make proper decissions, and provide the services as they should be provided.
Let’s not kid ourselves that the people who make these decisions actually care about the safety or wellbeing of their constituents…….all they care about is making savings in the budgets so they can pat themselves on the back for how ‘efficient’ they were in the last fiscal year, and probably award themselves large bonuses out of the savings!! Who cares if a few cailleachs break a hip on icy pavements, or a few motorists are involved in accidents on black ice?? Not our glorious leaders, thats for sure!!
I also had no option but to use a treacherous piece of road in yesterday’s conditions and observed that it had not been gritted. I called the emergency helpline to request that it be gritted and the message back was that the person in charge agreed that the road was very dangerous and I should be careful! Gosh, why didn’t I think of that as I crawled along in 1st or 2nd gear? I pay my council tax so that the council can provide vital services like gritting the roads, not so they can pay some patronising monkey to state the obvious when even their own (presumably well trained in safe driving) gritter drivers and bus drivers cannot keep their vehicles on the roads. Incredible!
Two vivier lorries were unable to exit from Brevig Pier yesterday. The gritter turned up on request but the driver was only allowed to grit the track to get the lorries away. Apparently he was not permitted to grit the actual pier area which was treacherous……..so much for Health & Safety and Duty of care!
UTTERLY Ridiculous. The Comhairle need to rethink this one before a serious accident occurs and they are sued.
Today in Perth:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-tayside-central-16257987
It is shocking..So many people have had bad falls already and seen lots of cars off the road.
Strange they have money for other things ????
Before ice, snow, concrete chippings disguised as freezing salts, are applied to the surface, the roads are in a shocking state. Add the afformentioned and its a gamble that your car will arrive at its destination in anywhere near the condition it started off in. Not only do we pay council tax but we also pay road tax to ensure that our roads are well maintained, properly signed and safe. The council are on us like a ton of bricks if we don’t conform to some H&S standard in our own homes but then are happy for us to skate off the road or break our necks on the pavement. Yes it is strange how they have money for other things. Things that never really happen. How dare Malcom Burr pontificate to us on what is and what isn’t affordable. This council stinks, everything about it stinks and I really wish that they would all just disappear up their own backsides.
Well this is the result of financial reality. No choice, really. Apart from, of course, considering what value for money Mr Burr brings to the table. £100,000 a year is he on? That (and some other salaries in his department) would buy a powerful amount of gritting.
Sorry guys. Expect more of the same. Much more.
Gritting! More or less scalpings. First grit of the year and the wife’s car needs a new windscreen.
And
The same bloody happened last year and the year before with my own yet to lose one this year that stands at 5 screens in 3 years – b******s
Paul, good points, but such language will get you barred.
The only answer to the ongoing incompetence of our council is to throw the lot of them out at the next elections. Most of them have been there too long for the little good that they do, and they are primarily concerned with their overblown salaries and expenses, subsidised canteen and booze; and whatever other perks they manage to screw out of the system..
Not only do we need a clean sweep of the council, but we need the Scottish government to change the regulations to limit their time in office to two terms, maximum. This is the only way we will be able to get rid of the self serving deadwood and, hopefully, replace them with people who are actually interested in promoting the good of the islands.
This is us paying for the bankers and Gordon Browns mistakes. The council could also manage things much better.
Donald I agree, the problem is that those who caused the problem are not having to pay the piper the way we are. I’ll never vote Labour again.
Friend has just lost a rear spring to an expensive BMW to a huge pothole. I doubt the parentage of some of those in charge.