Listen to people before removing grit bins council urged.

COUNCIL: MSP tells local authority to consult residents before making any decisions on cutting grit bins resources

Fife Council has been told to listen to local communities before cutting grit from towns across the region.

The authority has announced it will be consulting on proposals to remove some bins, a move to help meet part of a £170,000 budget cut to winter services.

However, concerns have been raised that local communities have not been properly involved in the consultation process.

Dunfermline SNP MSP ShirleyAnne Somerville is now pressing the council to ensure that local concerns and priorities are taken into account before it removes any grit bins.

“It would be incredibly short sighted for any grit bins to be removed without communities having a chance to have their say first,” she said.

“We have just experienced a winter with extreme weather conditions including heavy snow and ice.

“A grit bin can make all the difference in making roads and footways safe during such weather, so this is not a decision which should be rushed through.

“With the beast from the east in recent memory, there is no doubt that communities will be well placed to advise which grit bins shouldn’t be considered for removal.

“It’s only right that residents should have an opportunity to feed into these proposals.”

Ms Somerville expressed sympathy with councillors who had tried to get the information out in the holiday months.

“But ultimately the onus for this shouldn’t be on them,” she added.

“Fife Council should urgently consider suspending the proposals until further community engagement has been undertaken.”

Fife Council said that a working group is considering various options regarding the budget cuts and that councillors have been consulted to gauge their opinion on sites.

Senior manager Derek Crowe said: “Part of this saving will impact the provision of grit bins and while no final numbers have been set, an exercise is under way reviewing the locations of grit bins across Fife.

“The policy is to provide grit bins on minor housing estate roads and footpaths which are not on the primary gritting network.

“We’re removing many grit bins on the primary route network since they are already receiving the highest level of road gritting service.

“Fife currently has a very good level of service for winter gritting and grit bins, but it must be provided within a finite budget and we are endeavouring to achieve that balance.”

With the beast from the east in recent memory, there is no doubt that communities will be well placed to advise which grit bins shouldn’t be considered for removal. SHIRLEY-ANNE SOMERVILLE MSP

Glenrothes residents gritting their pavements to remove ice from paths due to a lack of resources.