Council spending willface scrutiny
Council wheel out 40 gritters, 66 ploughs and 19 tractors for dry run ahead of winter
The way South Lanarkshire Council plans and spends its under-pressure budget looks set to be scrutinised by a Holyrood committee.
And councils have been warned they face a period of unprecedented uncertainty.
The Scottish Parliament’s local government and communities committee has announced a review into local government spending ahead of its scrutiny of the Scottish Government’s draft budget for 2018/19, which should be revealed towards the end of the year.
As part of its work, the committee will ask local authorities to prioritise spending and assess the impact of increased charges.
The committee’s convener, Glasgow MSP Bob Doris, said: “While local authorities have been making savings over previous years, the future shape of the local government settlement is changing and this may pose a level of uncertainty they’ve not previously had to cope with.”
Paul Manning, executive director of finance and corporate resources, said: “The council will cooperate with any request for information made by the local government and communities committee.”
You shouldn’t be alarmed if you spotted a fleet of gritters out on the roads recently — it was just a dress rehearsal for the main event.
South Lanarkshire Council chiefs are gearing up for the colder, darker months ahead.
September may have brought the last of the summer sunshine but the council’s roads service team have been busy with their preparations.
For 40 gritters, 66 snowploughs, one snowblower, 19 tractors and five loaders were wheeled out of summer storage for a ‘dry run’ to ensure they are ready for the winter ahead.
Road workers set out on the priority gritting routes which cover 52 per cent of South Lanarkshire’s road network – above the Scottish average of 48 per cent.
These routes include access roads for hospitals, ambulance and fire stations, police offices and schools, as well as roads that give the only access to rural communities and local and district distributor routes in urban areas.
Councillor John Anderson is chair of the council’s community and enterprise committee.
He said: “The dry run in September gives our teams the chance to check all our equipment is in full working order and ensure new drivers are familiar with their gritting routes.
“We will have 35,000 tonnes of grit in stock ahead of the winter period and more than 200 employees trained in winter duties.
“Whilst we know the winter will bring low temperatures along with snow and rain which could be heavy at times, what we do not know is where and when conditions will be bad enough to cause disruption.
“Our specialist weather service lets us plan how the resources at our disposal are used but if there is a big freeze or very heavy snow it takes time to plough and grit roads and to clear pavements so I would reiterate our message to residents to make sure they are prepared and to heed any travel warnings which are issued.”
●For more information and advice see the ‘Roads in Winter’ pages on South Lanarkshire Council’s website.