Private firms set to come in from the cold to clear snow

Environment leader Robert Aldridge said paying for private teams to boost the city's gritting operation was an "extreme measure" being considered.

It comes after the council was swamped by complaints over its response to the big freeze, with the sub-zero conditions turning roads and pavements into ice rinks.

Forecasters say snow is set to continue into next week and temperatures in Edinburgh could fall as low as -14C.

Councillor Aldridge insisted local authority teams were working round the clock to tackle the snow and other staff had been redeployed to help out.

"At the moment we're continuing as we were, prioritising category one and getting to other areas as and when we can.

"Our plans have kept the city moving up until now, so we're sticking to that, but now we are getting street-cleaning staff involved. They started sweeping the paths yesterday.

"We are looking at every possibility to solve the snow issue and are striving to ensure salt and grit are available, but there is not as much coming through as we'd like. If the weather keeps on going, we will hire private contractors to clear the streets."

The cost of hiring private firms would be tens of thousands of pounds, with one gritting company telling the Evening News it would cost "at least 50,000" per day to lay down grit in residential areas – many of which have so far not been touched since the big freeze hit the Capital.

Tory councillor Jason Rust welcomed any moves to enlist the help of private contractors, but criticised the city council for taking so long to spring into action.

He said: "The council administration just do not have a grip of the severity of the situation. This has been a textbook tale of mismanagement. Other local authorities have already brought in private contractors and there has been plenty of opportunity for redeployment of staff.

"It is ridiculous they are only now starting to look at other options and they have willfully neglected large areas of the city."

The council has had at least 900 complaints from residents, many of whom are trapped in their houses or have been injured in falls.

As of yesterday, the city council cranked up the number of council staff clearing the streets by 250. Street cleaners, concierge staff, gardeners, environmental wardens and members of the graffiti removal team have been redeployed to sweep and grit streets.

Hundreds of employees were last night sent to fill some of the 1,600 grit bins around the city, many of which have been empty for up to three weeks.

Earlier this week, the Evening News reported that police were probing a series of grit thefts across the Lothians.

Today, residents of a sheltered housing complex in Musselburgh said they had been left without supplies after a man emptied their on-site bin.

Resident Cathy McLeod, 75, said pensioners at Mansfield Court in Inveresk Road were left stunned when the man emptied the bin into two buckets before walking off. She said: "He took all of it and we were left with nothing. At first we thought he was going to use it to help us, but then he just disappeared."

Meanwhile, the cold snap has also led to a 300 per cent increase in the number of emergency gas repairs being carried out by the council. The local authority said it had been forced to redeploy staff from planned gas servicing due to the huge increase in the number of emergency call-outs as more and more people turn up the heat to deal with the wintry weather.

A council spokeswoman said all pre-arranged appointments have been rescheduled.

Several businesses have also ground to a halt across the city. One of the Capital's biggest tourist attractions, Edinburgh Zoo, has been closed since Christmas Day. Never before in its history has the zoo been shut for 13 days, and it is thought it is costing the attraction more than 50,000 in lost revenue.

The MacArthur Glen Designer Outlet, in Livingston, also bolted its doors at noon yesterday, and there were problems for one doctor's surgery in Duddingston which could not reach patients as it did not have a vehicle that could deal with the snow. But the situation was saved when Chatham Skoda offered to loan the practice a Skoda Yeti.

A section of one of the country's major roads was closed for several hours due to heavy snowfall. The A702 was also closed between Hillend and Nine Mile Burn.

Train services between Edinburgh and Bathgate were suspended this morning.

MYTHS DEBUNKED

THE city council has dispelled two urban myths which have sprung up as a result of cold snap. They confirmed there is no by-law in Edinburgh which requires all businesses and private homes to clear snow from the front of their premises.

But anyone who decides to get the shovel out can rest easy. The spokesman said individuals who cleared pavements would definitely not be held liable if there was then an accident – unless they had actually made it more dangerous.