Councillors are calling for “all hands on decks” in the event of a severe winter after reluctantly agreeing to unprecedented cuts to gritting services across a vast swathe of the Highlands.
The message from Lochaber councillors is likely to be repeated today by colleagues in Inverness.
One Lochaber member is urging people to be more charitable than ever by keeping a check on vulnerable neighbours.
Alarm bells were sounded following acceptance of a dilution of “priority routes” in Lochaber, enforced by a £240,000 saving in winter maintenance budgets this year. A similar cut will follow in 2016-17 due to a lingering budget crisis.
The council must plug a record £46.3million, three-year funding gap that surfaced in May after independents formed a minority administration following the collapse of the SNP, Liberal Democrat and Labour coalition.
Inverness councillors will have their own winter maintenance debate this morning.
The Lochaber area committee, meeting in Fort William, had little choice but acknowledge budget decisions made last December that will mean more rural areas seeing gritters less frequently over the next two winters.
It prompted a “big society” rallying call for communities to do more for themselves to clear snow from pathways.
Councillors agreed a change in gritting priorities and network of 145 miles of “primary” routes, 30 miles of secondary routes and 245 miles of other routes in Lochaber.
Fort William and Ardnamurchan councillor Andrew Baxter branded the meeting “an expensive charade”, that despatched five officers from Inverness to a meeting where issues were predetermined.
“Areas used to having gritters will not realise the service has been axed until they go out on that first frosty morning and find the roads aren’t gritted,” he said.
“It will be incumbent on everyone that we look out for neighbours who are perhaps less fortunate than ourselves.”
Community services committee chairman Allan Henderson promised a full review of winter maintenance policy and to publish the conclusions next April.
Caol and Mallaig ward colleague Ben Thompson said: “The council needs folk to do more for themselves and the take-up of that has been poor.
“There’s plenty of salt and grit there, so if you want a grit bin or rock salt, that can be made available.”
Lochaber’s “primary routes” will be treated first. Gritter crews will only move on to others once primary and secondary routes are completed.
Its primary routes are: A861 Drumsallie-Ardgour-Strontian-Salen-Lochailort, A884 Strontian-Lochaline, B863 North Ballachulish-Kinlochleven-Carnach, B8007 Salen-Kilchoan, B8004 Banavie-Gairlochy-Commando Memorial, B8006 Kilmallie Road, Alma Road, Argyll Road and Terrace, Connochie Road, Ross Place, Hill Road, Fassfern Road and Gordon Square, Kennedy Road, Lochaber Road to Bus turning circle, Lundavra Road to viewpoint brae, Middle Street and West End High Street, Sutherland Avenue, West End car park.