Roads workers are being asked to go that extra mile with gritting this winter to ensure safety across Dumfries and Galloway.
Dumfries and Galloway Council has produced its Winter Service Plan for 2021/22, which was presented to the local authority’s communities committee on Tuesday.
The council intends on keeping the public fully informed this winter by posting a service daily action plan on its website, and online users will even be able to track the location of gritters being deployed across the region.
However, Mid and Upper Nithsdale Councillor Jim Dempster raised concerns about gritting not being done properly at Sanquhar Health Centre.
He said: “There’s a location in my ward, and I’m sure it’s not unique, where we simply stop at the entrance to the health centre. The route into the health centre isn’t gritted.
“I know currently that’s not our responsibility, but is there some way we can engage with the health board or DGHP (Dumfries and Galloway Housing Partnership), or have a collaborative approach?
“Because I can’t imagine it would be a big deal for an extra couple of shovels of salt when we’re gritting routes and footways anyway to do up to the health centre door.
“Can we engage with someone to see if there’s an operational opportunity among the three organisations to ensure it’s covered?
“At the moment the girls from the reception desk are running about taking sand out of a grit bin to try and make sure the patients are safe in going to see the doctor.
“I just don’t think that’s acceptable if we can do something to help.”
The council’s roads manager Mike Fawkes replied: “We do every winter engage with the NHS around support for them, predominantly around hospital facilities including DGRI and out west in some of the more cottage hospitals.
“We have provided support as well when they’ve requested it, especially in more prolonged or severe weather situations.
“As part of our pre-winter discussions with the NHS, I’m more than happy to talk with them around the primary care situation, and also the level of service that they feel they get from us around the hospital facilities.”
Communities committee chairman Andy Ferguson asked: “Are we utilising the resilience teams that have sprung up during Covid?
“Are we talking to them about the ways they can support us during the winter programme?”
Mike Fawkes responded: “Yes, we had discussions with two groups last year that were very successful and I think there’s a significant positive opportunity to engage with these groups that are more than happy to provide assistance, especially during winter time.”
Stranraer and the Rhins Councillor Willie Scobie also requested that early discussions take place with Dumfries and Galloway Housing Partnership (DGHP) to ensure that footpaths on land transferred to DGHP are properly gritted.
