Grit cuts?

By Colin Hutton and Jamie Borthwick • Published 13 Jan 2010 09:42

A SAVING of £100,000 could be made by not gritting pavements next Winter, according to a pre-budget report.

West Dunbartonshire Council (WDC) this week published its much-feared list of savings options for 2010/11 as it looks to claw back around £3m.

Ending pavement salting - which it is not legally obliged to carry out - is one item that has raised eyebrows as the area still attempts to deal with some of the worst Winter conditions in the last 30 years.

One prominent politician this week said the council would be "totally daft" to implement such a cut given the recent uproar over this year's grit rationing.

Another said it would be "lunacy".

Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton and the Vale, said: "It would be totally daft for the council to stop gritting pavements.

"We have seen increased attendances at accident and emergency casualty units and fracture clinics because footpaths have not been done.

"Therefore it would be a nonsense not to grit them in the future, and I would urge the council to approach this with a degree of caution."

Councillor Craig McLaughlin, WDC SNP Finance spokesman, said: "The weather brings a fresh perspective to this particular option. The reason it is in there is because footway gritting is not a legal requirement, so when officers are considering saving options they will look at ones we are not legally bound to first. But our first aim is that we try to protect frontline services."

Other controversial options on the savings list include closing Ladyton Library and reducing the policing of anti-social hot spots.

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This article appeared in Dumbarton & Vale of Leven Reporter 12 Jan 10

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