Keeping Clydesdale’s roads motoring this winter

Gordon Mackay was speaking as the council unveiled its plans for coping with severe winter weather when it inevitably strikes.

Salt stocks will remain relatively the same as last year with 35,000 tonnes safely stored in council yards across the county.

However, extra seasonal staff have been hired for the gritter shifts and 10 additional tractors have been purchased to help shift the snow from the roads not on the main network.

Gordon said: “Extra staff will be coming in from the grounds maintenance team. 18 of our seasonal workers, who were cutting the grass in the summer, will be gritting the roads in the winter.

“This year we will be gritting 50 per cent of our roads network – higher than the Scottish average of 42 per cent. The priority will be keeping the road network moving and that means prioritising the main roads.

“However, we do have over 1,600 grit bins across South Lanarkshire for people to use when they need to.”

For more information on this story, pick up a copy of this week’s Carluke and Lanark Gazette which is in the shops now.