With winter just around the corner the council is well prepared for any bad weather if it hits Argyll and Bute.  Much of the preparation has already been done with almost 16,000 tonnes of salt in stock ready to use on the roads, a lot of work has been done on community resilience and of course the council’s own resilience and a winter weather ready leaflet will be available across Argyll and Bute.

The council has a fleet of 33 vehicles capable of gritting and ploughing roads with another 8 on stand- by if needed. Each lorry is capable of carrying between 2 and 11 tonnes of salt. All have been tested by the roads team and are ready to go. There are more than 300 grit bins and thousands of salt heaps across the area so you can spread it on local pavements and roads. Salt will be available at roads depot gates for people who need it. For more information on priority treatment routes please visit our website www.argyll-bute.gov.uk/winter-weather- ready or pick up a winter weather ready leaflet which will be available in the next couple of weeks across Argyll and Bute. You can also follow our twitter feed for all the latest updates, it is @argyllandbute.

Leader of Argyll and Bute Council, Roddy McCuish, said: “The council’s well thought out plans to deal with potential bad weather this winter mean we are ready for anything that comes our way. I would encourage you to pick up one of our winter weather ready leaflets at a council customer service point, in libraries, leisure centres, post offices and GP’s surgeries. It contains practical information on winter driving, what to keep in your car, a roads priority treatment map, how you can help in the community, what to keep handy in your home and useful contact numbers. I’ll be making sure I have mine to hand.”

Within the council improvements are being made to buildings, communications and IT including hiring more back-up generators in case of power loss and taking ownership of a satellite phone trailer from the Scottish Government which can be towed to any location. The council will also be taking part in the Scottish Government’s ‘Ready for winter’ campaign which will focus on individual resilience in an emergency situation. There will be two road shows in Rothesay on 19 November and Campbeltown on 20 November where advice will be given to local people.

Handbooks have been distributed to all community councils in Argyll and Bute to encourage them to prepare an emergency plan.  This includes details about people’s roles and responsibilities, public safety information and key risks affecting the area. Each community council is being asked to consider what they can do in the event of an emergency or incident in their community. The handbook has been prepared by the council, Strathclyde Police, Strathclyde Fire and Rescue, NHS Highland, HM Coastguard, Argyll Voluntary Action, British Red Cross, WRVS, Scottish and Southern Energy and Scottish Power.