Council preparations underway to ensure Renfrewshire is Ready for Winter

Preparations are well underway in Renfrewshire to ensure council teams are ready to deal with snow, ice and flooding as winter weather prepares to set in.

As part of the council’s Ready for Winter campaign, gritting teams will use nine gritters to cover more than 850km of roads across Renfrewshire on a priority basis, with more than 3700 tonnes of grit stored and available to keep Renfrewshire moving throughout the winter period.

Last winter, local favourites including Ploughlo Grittini, Tony Gritzpatrick and Thawin’ Batty gritted more than 35,000km in Renfrewshire as gritting teams worked on a 24/7 basis to keep the roads network safe.

Hundreds of grit bins are available across Renfrewshire to support local people to clear pathways and areas in front of their homes, with gritting vehicles not always able to visit residential areas, and Team Up to Clean Up caddies have tools available for local people to use throughout the winter.

Flooding teams are already out clearing drains at known hotspots and ensuring that waterways across Renfrewshire are clear to stay ahead of the weather, while being ready to respond if heavy downpours overwhelm the drainage system.

Councillor Michelle Campbell, Convener of Renfrewshire Council’s Infrastructure, Land and Environment Policy Board, said: “Every year, our teams work in difficult conditions, often overnight, to keep our roads clear throughout the winter period and I want to thank them in advance as we approach the winter period.

“Winter doesn’t start for our teams when the first snowflake falls though, there are preparing in advance to ensure what they need to respond is in place ahead of time.

“With more than 3,700 tonnes of grit stored and available for use, with more available to order should it be required, we are ready to go should our teams identify that the temperature is set to drop.”

The Ready for Winter campaign also aims to provide residents, businesses and staff with the support they need to be prepared for the winter period, including information on how to access flu and Covid vaccinations; how to prepare your home, your family, or your business for adverse weather; and how to receive support with the cost of living, while also highlighting the work of frontline council staff who keep services operating whatever the weather.

Councillor Campbell added: “While we’ll be working hard to keep the streets safe from snow and ice, this forms just one part of our winter response as we want to ensure people are ready to deal with all aspects of winter – not just travel.

“Whether that how to get winter vaccinations, seeking energy advice or cost of living support, or identifying how to best prepare in advance for adverse weather, we want to be there to support you.

“We want to ensure local people can access what they need this winter, so please visit our website if you need advice or guidance and we will do all we can to help.”

For more information on the council’s preparations for winter and the support available over the winter period, visit www.renfrewshire.gov.uk/RenReady.