16 PLANNING AHEAD Winter is coming .. grit and bear it
Council set out plans to cope with worst of the weather
Residents in East Kilbride are being urged to make sure they are prepared for whatever winter has to throw at them.
During winter awareness week, which runs until October 31, South Lanarkshire Council are giving advice on how to cope with the worst of the weather.
While the local authority have their winter fleet and 24/7 teams on full standby, Councillor Chris Thompson, chair of the enterprise services committee, is urging the wider community to get ready.
He said: “Our winter plan includes gritting 52 per cent of the road network when ice or snow is forecast as well as town centre footpaths. These gritting routes include roads giving access to hospitals, ambulance depots, fire stations, police stations and schools, A and B class roads and distributor roads in urban areas.
“In our rural areas we will also grit roads which provide the only way in or out of a community.
“As a rule, however, gritting routes do not include residential roads and paths.”
“And, as winter increasingly brings high winds and heavy rainfall, we are also on high alert around the clock for problems caused by flooding or fallen trees.”
There are more than 1900 grit bins around South Lanarkshire to help neighbourhoods grit roads and pavements around their homes.
Councillor Thompson added: “Grit bins are there to help you but they are not a free supply for use on private property.
“The priority for our workforce will be main routes and essential access roads but these resources are there to help members of the community tackle snow and ice on residential roads and paths.”
The roads team is on stand-by 24/7 throughout the winter (usually until the end of March) and plans its precautionary gritting schedule based on up-todate forecast information from the Met office, supplied three times daily.
During the winter alert period, the council will issue up to date information, including severe weather alerts and advice regularly through their website www. southlanarkshire.gov.uk as well as through twitter @southlancouncil and @ slcroads