New South Lanarkshire roads depot to have greater grit storage capacity

Jan 28 2010 by John Rowbotham, Hamilton Advertiser

COUNCIL road salt storage facilities are to be bolstered – following a review of winter maintenance measures.

Officials are examining the feasibility of strengthening the walls of barns used to store grit for South Lanarkshire’s 1400 miles of roads. They are also looking at the possibility of extending barns at two depots.

South Lanarkshire Council say their new £5.2m roads depot, due to open in August in Larkhall, will be capable of storing 6000 tonnes of salt. That would increase the council's salt storage capacity by 2500 tones to 16,300 tonnes.

The measures follow the recent Big Freeze, when temperatures in South Lanarkshire fell as low as minus 15.7 (recorded in Lesmahagow on January 7) and the council’s store of grit fell to worryingly low levels.

At the start of December, salt stocks were at almost 12,000 tonnes throughout South Lanarkshire.

Over the course of the month, around 18,500 tonnes were used and approximately 10,750 tonnes delivered.

To cope with the shortfall, roads staff sourced 1500 tonnes of salt from another supplier. Around 4200 tonnes of sand was also bought and mixed with white salt, primarily for use on footways.

A fleet of wagons was hired and sent to a salt mine in Cheshire to pick up 1200 tonnes of salt.

Despite the efforts to source more salt, it became clear on Christmas Eve that salt stocks were running low in South Lanarkshire and, indeed, elsewhere.

To preserve South Lanarkshire salt stocks, the decision was taken to use a salt/sand mix on precautionary gritting routes and cease gritting daytime routes, footways and refilling grit bins.

The council say the approach was consistent with advice received from the Scottish Government and the County Surveyors Society.

Although the council were severely criticised for failing to clear side roads and pavements, they say that only by doing so were they able to keep 60 per cent of the South Lanarkshire road network open and gritted twice a day.

A council spokesman said: “At various stages over the big freeze the council has only had two or three days’ salt supplies.

“The situation has improved as temperatures have increased – although the warning is that salt supplies are still nowhere near the minimum levels required.”

Enterprise committee chairman Chris Thompson praised the “skill and determination” of the 150 roads employees who worked through the festive season to ensure none of South Lanarkshire’s main roads was closed for any extended period.

There was also a pat on the back for 90 employees from the council’s community resources department and 75 from housing who were drafted in to help with gritting roads and footpaths.

Councillor Thompson said that following the thaw, roads staff cleared culverts and gullies on main roads prone to flooding.

Teams are also assessing the damage to road surfaces caused by the extreme low temperatures.

The councillor added: “I can only apologise for the obvious difficulties people experienced. But it should be remembered the weather we experienced was simply unprecedented. I would also like to thank residents for their patience and willingness to help out those less fortunate than themselves."