Thanks for keeping us all on the move
Council leader salutes his workers
The leader of Renfrewshire Council has praised the army of hardworking council staff who kept vital services going during last week’s Arctic blast.
Renfrewshire started to return to normal yesterday as the weather warnings lifted and schools and nurseries re-opened.
The extreme weather – dubbed the Beast From The East – hit the area last Tuesday night and caused havoc, with people urged not to drive and schools and nurseries all closing their doors.
Refuse collections were cancelled until Sunday, with residents told their bins, and any refuse left alongside, would be picked up on their next due date.
Over the weekend, a squad of more than 250 Renfrewshire Council staff worked on a 24-hour rota to clear and grit roads.
Between them, they covered more than 18,000 miles, using more than 50 vehicles at any one time and spreading more than 1,000 tonnes of grit to keep roads clear.
Renfrewshire Council leader Iain Nicolson thanked staff for their efforts.
He said: “The extreme weather has made it an incredibly challenging few days for staff working hard to maintain our vital public services.
“I would like to offer my thanks to all council staff for the commitment they showed in ensuring these services continued – whether that was caring for the most vulnerable or working extra shifts to keep our roads clear.
“I would also like to thank our emergency services and first responders for their efforts to keep our communities safe for all those in our communities who have helped each other over recent days.
“While the weather has slightly improved, conditions are still challenging as we work hard to return to normal so please take care if you are out and about.”
Renfrewshire North and West MSP Derek Mackay said the extreme weather brought out people’s community spirit.
He said: “It has been a tough few days and great credit, along with our heartfelt thanks, must go to everyone who has braved the conditions to keep services running or assist others in the community.
“Stories of people giving stranded NHS workers lifts, taking shopping to neighbours or clearing paths in their local area, as I managed to assist with on Friday, is heart-warming.”
A Renfrewshire Council spokesperson added: “We’d like to thank all our staff for their hard work and dedication during the unprecedented weather conditions, their commitment to serving the Renfrewshire community is greatly appreciated.
“Thanks to the tremendous efforts of our staff, schools reopened on Monday as normal, as did all other council services, and we thank the public for their patience as we dealt with the severe weather conditions and for those who assisted in clearing their local area.”