Antrim and Newtownabbey Borough Council has been asked for two local villages to be added to its gritting schedule.
Speaking at a meeting of the council’s Operations Committee at Antrim Civic Centre, on Monday evening, Ballyclare DUP Councillor Helen Magill requested the inclusion of Ballyrobert and Straid.
Cllr Magill pointed out Ballyrobert has a school and a shop and suggested it would “not be a very big area to grit but would be a great help to a lot of people in the village”.
A director replied:
“We can look at all sites. The sites that are chosen are mainly based on areas that are identified through a memorandum of understanding from the Department for Infrastructure.”
He pointed out there would be “financial implications” for the council by taking on other sites.
Antrim DUP Alderman John Smyth seconded Cllr Magill’s proposal for Ballyrobert and Straid to be included and asked for a report to be brought back to the committee.
The director said the cost of including the two additional areas could be examined and the cost brought back to members.
A report presented to the committee said the current schedule is expected to cost between £30,000 to £40,000 this winter.
From November to April, the council provides gritting services and snow clearance at all its facilities and in town centres and car parks as well as assisting bin collections during adverse weather.
Following a decision taken behind closed doors, last month, gritting of designated areas in the borough’s towns and villages will be carried out by a specialist contractor.
Minutes of last month’s Operations Committee said:
“The gritting operations were completed by staff who volunteered to come in out-of-hours for enhanced overtime rates. Unfortunately insufficient numbers of staff were volunteering to provide all the gritting services required at council sites as well as town and village centres and officers could not guarantee all areas would be serviced.”
The committee was told this week gritting will take place if the contractor believes there is a “strong possibility of ice occurring, based on Met Office warnings and media weather reports”.
However, according to “micro-climatic differences” across the borough, gritting may not take place in some areas,
The winter operations plan aims to have council facilities gritted before staff arrive at work and the main town centres to be “serviced” before shops and businesses open at 9am although this may not take place during heavy rain or snow and is “dependent on available resources”.
It is also proposed to maintain the community grit piles this winter.
Department for Infrastructure Roads provides the local authority with the salt/grit mix free of charge.
Community groups can also have access to “winter resilience kits” which include a salt spreader, salt, grit box, snow shovels, ice grippers, gloves, and hi-vis vests with three available for each District Electoral Area.