The army of farmers keeping roads clear
Perthshire farmers have been doing their bit to help clear the region’s roads of snow this week but not everyone is happy about it.
Around 60 farmers and local contractors clear local roads in addition to the Perth and Kinross Council’s grit lorries.
Agricultural engineer Andy Stirrat lives just outside Bridge of Earn and has been ploughing local roads for the past 20 years.
Under Perth and Kinross Council’s gritting and snow-clearing self-help scheme, tractor drivers like Andy get supplied with a snow plough.
In return, the farmer/contractor clears snow from an agreed section of the local public roads network and can use the plough to clear snow on their own private roads.
Andy can also agree to help the council clear other sections of the local roads network when the region is hit with snow events like it has been this past week work which he would be paid.
But Andy told the PA residents are not always happy to see him.
He said: “You get a lot of thanks.
“But others have cleared their drives and thrown the snow in the middle of the road.”
They are then unhappy when, in the process of clearing the road, snow gets pushed back in front of driveways.
He said: “You get stuff thrown at you but on the whole most folk are grateful.”
Andy is impressed by the community spirit he sees in some local neighbourhoods.
He said: “Some places you go and they have got the whole street out together and cleared the road. There are a few places in Bridge of Earn like that.”
While there has been a substantial amount of snow this week, the worst conditions Andy worked in was three years ago.
He said: “The drifting was worst when the Beast from the East came for a visit in 2018.”
Andy said the thick frozen snow coupled with the strong winds made it difficult.
But while being first out on an uncleared road is an unenviable task, Andy is unfazed.
When asked if he had ever had any near misses, he casually responded: “I’ve been off the road quite a few times.
“If there’s a white-out and you’re going through drifts you just have to feel your way through it.”
Councillor Angus Forbes, convener of PKC’s environment and infrastructure committee, said he was “extremely grateful” to the Perth and Kinross army of farmers, contractors and locals clearing roads and footways.
The Carse of Gowrie councillor said: “In weather like we are seeing at the moment we rely on everyone to help when they can and I am extremely grateful not just to farmers, but to everyone who does their bit like clearing a bit of pavement or using a push along snow plough supplied by the council.”
The public self-help scheme for footway clearing allows local residents to be supplied with a push along hand gritter and rock salt to grit an agreed length of the public footway network.
Anyone interested in either self-help scheme should phone the PKC customer services team on 01738 476476.