9-to-5 ploughs will see us right . . as long as it never snows at night

IT MIGHT rub salt in the wounds of those who faced months of chaos caused by the big freeze last winter.

The city council agreed that more needed to be done to prepare for bad weather after the serious problems suffered last winter and agreed to lease eight extra mini-tractors to treat pavements when it snows.

But council officials have now admitted that the new machinery - which costs an extra 6006 a year to hire - will only be used during office hours because they can't afford to pay staff to operate it at other times.

The move has led to fears that school children and workers will have to plough through snow-covered pavements every time there is overnight snow.

Councillor Jason Rust, whose Colinton/Fairmilehead ward was badly affected last winter, said: "It is great that this new equipment has been purchased given how unprepared the council was for the severity of the conditions last winter.

"However, they will be of little use if we do not have a budget to staff them.

"Often the worst conditions are outwith normal working hours and in particular we would want to ensure that school routes are clear.

"There were major issues last winter in the higher regions in the south and south-west of the city. It would really rub salt into the wound if this year we actually have the appropriate machinery and it is lying idle in a council depot."

The city had to spend almost of its 1.4 million winter maintenance budget in the first week of January as it was forced to buy in more salt from the Highlands and hire private salting firms to shore up its own stretched service.

In response, more than 5200 tonnes of salt has been stockpiled in preparation for another "whiteout" winter this year - with another 2000 tonnes on the way. Five extra gritters have also been snapped up, as well as the eight mini-tractors, in an effort to keep the city moving in the face of predicted severe weather.

But in an e-mail to Cllr Rust, who had enquired about preparations for this winter, council officials admitted that the mini-tractors will only operate during working hours.

Council chiefs say "high priority" pavements in the city centre - not including school paths - are gritted from 5am. Schools and other establishments on higher ground are then prioritised for gritting, including Bonaly Primary, Braidburn, Buckstone Primary, Colinton Primary and Pentland Primary.

A city council spokeswoman said: "These schools have been identified as requiring special attention during periods of adverse winter conditions."