Issued: 21 November 2002
Beating The Winter Blues In Angus
Angus Council has outlined its plans for keeping the county’s roads and footways passable during the winter.
In a leaflet which is being delivered this week to householders throughout Angus, the council details its winter maintenance service.
Visiting the council’s Kirriemuir Roads Depot Roads Convener Sandy West, revealed that the council has set a budget of £1.3 million to deliver winter maintenance service this year.
Determined to fight the elements and keep the county on the move, the Roads Department has salt stocks of 14,000 tonnes.
The Roads Department’s winter maintenance service covers priority, auxiliary and non-priority roads, and priority and non-priority footways.
As in previous years, priority carriageways and footways will be treated first and given extended winter maintenance coverage.
Auxiliary routes cover roads which are at a higher altitude than the rest of the network and are more prone to icing, but have lighter traffic than priority routes.
Non priority routes and auxiliary routes and are only treated after priority routes have been satisfactorily treated. During prolonged snow conditions priority and auxiliary routes are cleared first before non-priority routes are dealt with. Only public roads and footways are treated.
Angus Roads Convener Sandy West said: “It may not currently be in the forefront of people’s minds, but as the cold begins to bite it is essential that we are well prepared and provide the best winter programme possible.”
Councillor West also pointed out that there are now 500 grit bins provided throughout the county for use by the public on a self help basis, and he appealed to local people to support the council’s efforts if the area is once again gripped by snow and ice this winter.
The leaflet drop is taking place over the next two weeks, with leaflets being left with householders’ wheelie bins
Additional leaflets are available from libraries and council offices.