Council teams in Renfrewshire are preparing to deal with snow, ice and heavy rain as winter approaches.
As part of the council’s Ready for Winter campaign, gritting teams will use seven gritters to cover more than 850km of roads across Renfrewshire on a priority basis, with more than 4500 tonnes of grit stored and available to keep Renfrewshire moving throughout the winter period – and additional grit added as required.
Local favourites including Ploughlo Grittini, Tony Gritzpatrick and Thawin’ Batty will grit thousands of kilometres of roads in Renfrewshire with gritting teams available 24/7 as required to keep the network safe.
Hundreds of grit bins are available across Renfrewshire to support local people to clear pathways and areas in front of their homes, with gritting vehicles not always able to visit residential areas, and the award-winning Team Up to Clean Up campaign has caddies available for local people to use throughout the winter.
Drains are being cleared in advance by council flooding teams, especially at known hotspots, to ensure they are as clear as possible if heavy rain was to hit Renfrewshire – and they will be ready to respond if extreme downpours overwhelm the drainage system.
Councillor Michelle Campbell, Convener of Renfrewshire Council’s Infrastructure, Land and Environment Policy Board, said: “From October to March, council teams are ready to deal with whatever the winter period brings, and preparations have been underway since the summer when our grit was delivered to us.
“When the first snowflake gets set to hit the ground our preparations will turn into action and I want to thank all of our teams who keep Renfrewshire moving over the winter – not just from snow, but ice, wind, rain and more – in advance for their work, which often takes place in difficult conditions.”
Photo: Cllr Michelle Campbell with gritter drivers Alec Donaldson and Stephen Adam
Photo Credit: Renfrewshire Council
The Ready for Winter campaign also aims to provide residents, council tenants, businesses and employees with the support they need to be prepared for the winter period, including how to access annual flu vaccinations, how to prepare your home, your family, or your business for adverse weather, and how to access support with the cost of living.
Councillor Campbell added: “While we’ll be working hard to keep the streets safe from snow and ice, this forms just one part of our winter response as we want to ensure people are ready to deal with all aspects of winter – not just travel.
“We know that bad weather can be a major issue over winter and our website has information on how to prepare yourself, your family, even your business for any eventuality, but we also want to ensure that we are there for people who need ongoing support with the cost of living or how to manage their energy bills when the heating is more needed.
“You can visit our website or call our teams who can provide advice and support so please get in touch as early as possible and our teams will do all they can to give you the help you need this winter.”
For more information on the Renfrewshire Council’s preparations for winter and the support available over the winter period, visit: www.renfrewshire.gov.uk/RenReady.