A row broke out last night after it emerged as many as eight gritters have been out of action over the last two weeks – just as the snow hit the Highlands.
Highland Council confirmed there had been issues with the authority’s fleet of gritters – caused by a combination of mechanical problems and road accidents – but stressed that they had always had “sufficient capacity” to cover.
But last night questions were also raised about why some of the new fleet of machines were sent to the “balmy west coast” rather than being put to use in areas that regularly see the most snowfall.
The majority of the issues affecting vehicles has been electrical in nature, although the council confirmed that three had been involved in road accidents.
One council vehicle ended up on its side after being involved in a collision with a car on the A95 Aviemore to Elgin road between Aviemore and Grantown last week.
It has prompted concerns from Aviemore-based Councillor Bill Lobban about the current level of gritter provision in the north.
He said: “It was mostly during the first snow in the last couple of weeks where we’ve had gritters broken down and there was that one that ended up on its side in an accident last week.
“It beggars belief that they’ve ordered a number of new gritters and none of them are coming here.
“There’s no logical reason why the highest, coldest and indeed snowiest part of the Highlands have been left with older machines while the new gritters have been sent off to sun themselves on the balmy west coast.”
Mr Lobban added: “The guys on the ground do a fantastic job with the resources they are given but some of the decision making is questionable.”
Last December, the council’s previous administration controversially agreed to save £480,000 by 2017 from its winter maintenance budget – including cutting 12 gritters and 12 staff over the period.
The current administration’s community services chairman, Allan Henderson, admitted that services were “somewhat stretched” as a result.
He also confirmed that the administration were looking at ways of cutting the saving in half by reinstating money back into the budget, despite the council’s cash strapped situation.
Inverness-based Highlands and Islands MSP David Stewart added: “Obviously I am aware that the council is facing exceptionally severe financial strain and is affecting every aspect of their service.
“I will write to the chief executive of the council seeking more information about this as it is clearly a vitally important issue for safety on our roads.
“That said my sympathies are with the council about the increasingly severe pressure with their finances because of the current regime they are working under.”
Councillor Ken Gowans, whose ward covers elevated parts of Inverness such as Westhill and Milton of Leys as well as rural villages such as Daviot and Tomatin said gritting was an ongoing issue.
He said he had received a high number of complaints about bouts of earlier spells of snow in the past few weeks – but said things had improved in this week’s flurries.
He added: “The roads department are struggling severely in places and they are being asked to do more and more with less resources.
“It is something we need to have a look at it.”
Andrew Kirk, chairman of Carrbridge Community Council, said: “I think there is certainly a perception that the main roads, the likes of the A9 for us looked after by Bear are being looked after very well, but when you turn off onto council roads they’re not being looked after quite so well.
“But I think we need to recognise that there are cutbacks being made by the council and that’s the situation.
“The roads appear not to have been looked after as well as they have been in the past.”
“Sufficient capacity” to cover for vehicles off the road
Highland Council have insistsed that the number of gritters off the roads so far this winter “has not been excessive” and there has always been “sufficient capacity” to cover for vehicles off the road.
Councillor Allan Henderson, who is chairman of the community services committee which monitors winter roads maintenance, insisted that the problems were not unusual for the type of vehicle.
He said: “I believe most of the problems were on the first day that we had snow. Most of the problems have been electrical in nature which is common given the type of vehicles we are dealing with.”
The council currently runs a fleet of 105 gritters, 48 pavement gritters and one snowblower.
Mr Henderson admitted that the service is “stretched” because of budget pressures but said that the administration had made putting money back into the winter maintenance budget a priority.
A spokeswoman for the council said: “Highland Council has had a number of gritters off the road with mechanical and/or electrical faults during the last two weeks. The max number at any one time has been eight. To put this in context the Council has 105 vehicles in its winter fleet, the largest of any Council in the UK, so the number of breakdowns has not been excessive. The most common fault we are experiencing is electrical but we have also had three incidents where vehicles have been involved in minor road traffic collisions.
“For this current year Highland Council are replacing 25 vehicles at a cost of approx £2.2 million.
“Through this replacement programme the Council has taken delivery of a number of new vehicles but has purposely retained its old vehicles to act as spares until all the replacement vehicles have been delivered.
“We have therefore had sufficient capacity within the fleet to cover for any breakdowns.”
“Sufficient capacity” to cover for vehicles off the road
Highland Council have insistsed that the number of gritters off the roads so far this winter “has not been excessive” and there has always been “sufficient capacity” to cover for vehicles off the road.
Councillor Allan Henderson, who is chairman of the community services committee which monitors winter roads maintenance, insisted that the problems were not unusual for the type of vehicle.
He said: “I believe most of the problems were on the first day that we had snow. Most of the problems have been electrical in nature which is common given the type of vehicles we are dealing with.”
The council currently runs a fleet of 105 gritters, 48 pavement gritters and one snowblower.
Mr Henderson admitted that the service is “stretched” because of budget pressures but said that the administration had made putting money back into the winter maintenance budget a priority.
A spokeswoman for the council said: “Highland Council has had a number of gritters off the road with mechanical and/or electrical faults during the last two weeks. The max number at any one time has been eight. To put this in context the Council has 105 vehicles in its winter fleet, the largest of any Council in the UK, so the number of breakdowns has not been excessive. The most common fault we are experiencing is electrical but we have also had three incidents where vehicles have been involved in minor road traffic collisions.
“For this current year Highland Council are replacing 25 vehicles at a cost of approx £2.2 million.
“Through this replacement programme the Council has taken delivery of a number of new vehicles but has purposely retained its old vehicles to act as spares until all the replacement vehicles have been delivered.
“We have therefore had sufficient capacity within the fleet to cover for any breakdowns.”