Calls for back-up gritter to be relocated in Badenoch and Strathspey

The strath's only spare gritter is parked up in Inverness - if any of its fleet of snow-clearing vehicles break down or get stuck, it has emerged.

The surprise city location of the back-up plough was attacked by local Highland councillor Jaci Douglas who argued the area’s need was greater than Inverness.

But a roads official has insisted the gritter is better off in the Highland Capital because it could be swiftly despatched on the A9 if it was needed.

It comes as sub-zero temperatures and snow arrived today with the Highlands getting its first real blast of winter.

Highland Council outlined its proposed winter maintenance efforts at the latest Nairn and Badenoch and Strathspey area committee.

Roads officials outlined the priority roads for gritting with routes to hospitals, schools and OAP homes always getting the first treatment.

Five vehicles to tackle to snow and ice, plus four footpath tractors, will be employed in the strath this winter by 10 staff.

Richard Evans, the council’s acting head of roads and community works, said that the fleet was smaller than previous years but the overall salt spreading capacity had increased because its gritters were bigger.

He said there was one spare gritter for the Inverness, Nairn, Badenoch and Strathspey area and it was kept in the city after Councillor Douglas questioned its whereabouts.

She argued that there were several alternative bases where it could be stored.

"Why is it Inverness?," she said. "In Inverness, Nairn and Badenoch and Strathspey, the centre would be the north end of Badenoch and Strathspey. We have worse conditions here. Surely the centre would be nearer than Inverness."

Mr Evans defended the decision but admitted the gritter could be kept elsewhere.

"I think there are a lot of centre, geographical or population centres," he told the committee in Kingussie on Tuesday (3.12).

"I believe it [spare gritter] is on the east side of Inverness, it is not as if we will have to cross Inverness to get it. I think it is the right place to be, we have got a lot of workshops there for dealing with any problems and it doesn’t take long to get here, the trunk road is well maintained."

Meanwhile, councillor Bill Lobban called on the roads authority to clamp down on inconsiderate strath drivers who park their cars on pavements which blocked workers from clearing ice or snow.

He suggested warning stickers were left on offending vehicles and said the police could get involved.

"One of the big problems of street clearing is not the street furniture, it is the people who park their cars on pavements," he said.

Mr Evans urged the public, including taxi divers, to report any cars which were taking up pavement space but said the council did not have the manpower to tackle the problem.

Area leader Liz MacDonald suggested shop owners could be given warning cards which they could place on cars.

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