Scotland forced to buy road salt from Africa as stocks dwindle

Published on Monday 4 January 2010 21:40

DWINDLING salt stocks yesterday forced a council to urge drivers to stay off untreated roads, while another local authority resorted to ordering supplies from Africa.

• Gritters out on the streets, but how long will the salt last? Picture: TSPL

The desperate measures came amid the longest sub-zero spell for 20 years, with the big freeze set to continue into next week.

Fife received emergency supplies after running out yesterday, but SNP MSP Tricia Marwick called for an inquiry into why its SNP-Liberal Democrat administration let stocks get so low.

A survey by The Scotsman found many councils had abandoned pavement clearance to focus depleted salt stocks on roads. Several mixed salt and grit to make it go further.

Read further analysis here

Several local authorities have restricted salting to main routes, with Scottish Borders covering only A roads and advising drivers "not to travel for anything other than for absolutely essential purposes".

Renfrewshire is also focusing on main routes only, but it hopes to receive more salt today. South Lanarkshire, which is already sending lorries to England to replenish stocks, plans to bring in a shipload from north Africa.

Enterprise resources committee chairman Chris Thompson said: "We have been sending lorries to England daily, but this is now running out. With no definite information on when our salt stocks can be replenished, we are now talking to suppliers about bringing 5,000 tonnes in by ship."

Most councils said they were coping, but were anxiously awaiting new supplies this week.

An Edinburgh council spokeswoman said: "We have enough to keep going for the next few days, with a delivery expected. We are prioritising bus lanes, hospitals and main roads. But by the time we have done Category One roads, a new flurry of snow falls and you have to do them again."

East Lothian said side-roads and most footpaths remained untreated. Midlothian said it was drafting in extra snow-clearance equipment.

Falkirk has received daily deliveries, with grit bins being refilled today. Perth and Kinross said it had sufficient supplies, which had "never been an issue".

A 4,500-tonne salt shipment arrived in Aberdeen Harbour yesterday – enough for some ten days. A spokesman said: "We have had to go back and do priority routes again and again."

Highland has used as much salt in the past two weeks as in the whole of 2006-7 – 30,000 tonnes – but said it had sufficient stocks. It expects to use most of its 1.5 million winter maintenance contingency, adding one-third to the annual bill.

Moray has a salt shipment arriving at Buckie this week. "We may have to have an armed guard to stop other councils getting their hands on it," a spokesman joked.

Western Isles was mixing salt and sand to keep on top of the conditions. Orkney, which is doing the same, has "just enough" salt left before its next consignment this week. Shetland has three days' salt supply, but expects a delivery on Thursday.

In Argyll and Bute, stocks were "very low". A spokesman said: "We should survive, but if we get a lot of snow, it will give us trouble."

In Glasgow, salt supplies were holding up because grit was being mixed in, but only heavily used pavements were being treated. East Renfrewshire is also mixing salt and grit. South Ayrshire said the priority was arterial routes for emergency services and public transport. East Ayrshire has only gritted town-centre pavements.

West Dunbartonshire has "critically low salt stock levels", but expects another delivery.

&#149 Additional reporting: Craig Brown, Jenny Fyall, John Ross, Oliver Tree, Frank Urquhart.

ACROSS SCOTLAND

BORDERS: Drivers urged not to travel 'unless absolutely essential'. Salting limited to A roads. 'Very limited' stocks

EDINBURGH: Insufficient staff to clear minor roads and pavements

MIDLOTHIAN: New salt delivery yesterday

FIFE: Emergency shipment of 250 tonnes received from Perth & Kinross and Scottish Government after stocks ran out

GLASGOW: Only most heavily used pavements cleared. Grit mixed with salt to economise

S/LANARKSHIRE: Shipload of 5,000 tonnes of salt on way from north Africa or Mediterranean. Daily deliveries from northern England

RENFREWSHIRE: Salting limited to main routes. But new delivery expected today

W/DUNBARTONSHIRE: Down to 'critically low salt levels'. Over 1,000 tonnes a week spread – ten times usual amount

ARGYLL & BUTE: Salt stocks 'very low' but 'we should survive', says spokesman

ABERDEEN: Cargo ship carrying 4,500 tonnes of salt arrived yesterday. Enough for ten days

MORAY: Ten-day reserves to be replenished at end of week. 'We may have to have an armed guard to keep other councils getting their hands on it,' a spokesman jokes

HIGHLAND: 30,000 tonnes of salt used in last two weeks – more than whole of 2006-07