The City of Edinburgh Council has announced plans for how the city will cope with potentially severe weather this winter.
Be Prepared for Winter will also provide up-to-date information to residents through targeted advertising in the print and broadcast media, supported with comprehensive information on the Council’s website plus leaflets and posters.
Salt stocks of 16,000 tonnes have been stockpiled at the Council’s four depots, and the city’s 2,200 salt bins will be refilled on a programmed basis. This amount is more than is required to last an entire winter season.
The city’s roads will be gritted according to which category they fall under: Priority 1 roads are main and essential routes that are pre-treated when frost or snow is forecast and receive priority treatment during snow. Traffic Regulations Orders will be enforced on certain roads this winter to allow better access for gritters, emergency vehicles and buses, where parking has caused obstruction in the past.
Residential roads fall under the Priority 2 category, and will be treated when there is a severe weather event after Priority 1 routes are clear.
High priority pavements will be treated 24 hours a day, seven days a week in times of bad weather. The North Edinburgh Cycle network and the Innocent Railway cycle route have been classed with high priority pavement routes for the second year in a row.
The Council website will be regularly updated throughout the winter and includes gritting routes, salt bins, a video encouraging residents to clear snow and ice, and information about becoming a volunteer snow warden.
Councillor Lesley Hinds, Environment Convener for the City of Edinburgh Council, said: “Although last winter was milder than the 2009/10 and 2010/11, it is important that we continue to be vigilant in preparing for whatever this winter throws at us. In 2010/11 we experienced some of the worst conditions in almost half a century and our chief priority if this happens again is to keep the city moving.
“Our Be Prepared for Winter campaign will use our website and social and local media to alert residents about plans for the next day, such as gritting, waste collection services and schools. We’ve also got maps on our website showing gritting routes and salt bin locations throughout the winter. There are more than enough stocks of salt and grit, and the fleet of specialist snow clearing vehicles is ready to go.”
The Council’s campaign follows the launch of similar winter campaigns by the
Scottish Government and NHS Scotland.
