Winter

I started this post the other day, but it has suddenly become much more topical! The latest news is that although grit has been spread on the major routes around the city, temperatures of down to -8 degrees have made the grit less effective. It should begin to work better as the temperature increases.

I attended a presentation last Friday by Land and Environmental Services on their Winter Maintenance Plan. This set out the practical steps the Council will take to try and keep the roads and main pavements clear of snow and ice over the months ahead.

The Council bases its actions on weather forecasts, which are received through the day and into the evening. Gritters are then deployed using very high-tech devices - similar to sat nav - which ensure that the gritters stay on their route, don't miss any areas, and even more impressively, don't grit the same areas twice. The technology controls the spreading mechanism at the back of the gritter, so if you see one driving about the city not spraying out grit, it's because it's on its way somewhere else. This means the Council doesn't waste grit and ensures that the stocks we have will last longer. I was reassured to hear though that Glasgow's stocks of grit are high, having been replenished over the summer months.

Councillors were also given a list of frequently asked questions, which I thought would be useful to put on here:

Q1. HOW DO YOU DECIDE WHERE TO SALT?

A1 The Council has agreed a set of priorities in the event of snow or ice on road surfaces being forecast.

Top priority is given to:-

· Major Bus Routes;

· Junctions;

· Emergency Facility Access Routes.

Lowest priority is given to:-

· Parks;

· Private Roads.

A list of agreed precautionary treatment targets can be found in our Winter Maintenance Plan along with treatment priorities in the continued presence of snow or ice on the City’s roads within normal working hours.

Q2. HOW DO YOU DECIDE WHEN TO SALT?

A2. Land & Environmental Services has a contract with the Metreological Office to supply weather forecasts for Glasgow each day from the beginning of October until mid May.

The Service has also installed ice stations at 5 selected locations within the City which, together with the facility to access 15 other stations in adjacent authorities, help to improve the accuracy of forecasts. Staff can access information from these stations via portable computers.

Pre-gritting operations are undertaken from the beginning of November until the end of March on a standby arrangement. Ad hoc gritting is done outwith this period.

Q3 ARE FOOTWAYS (OR PAVEMENTS) TREATED?

A3. Yes. A list of our footway treatment priorities can be found in our Winter Maintenance Plan.

Q4. HOW CAN I GET SALT?

A4. You can visit a Land & Environmental Services’ Depot and pick up some salt (maximum 10 kgs) or take salt from one of approximately 500 bins located around the City.

Q5. HOW DO I GET A GRIT BIN RELOCATED?

A5. Grit bin locations have been agreed with local communities. Further details of the Council’s policy on grit bins can be found in the Council Minutes.

If you want to request that a bin be relocated, please contact Land & Environmental Services.

Q6. HOW DO I GET MY ROAD GRITTED?

A6. Check if your road is covered by the criteria for pre-gritting as per Section 3 of the Winter Maintenance Plan. Roads outwith the priority criteria will be treated in accordance with Section 3.3.1 in the Winter Maintenance Plan.

Planning for Glasgow's Future

I was amused to read an article in The Herald today which frets that "erratic planning decisions ‘may drive away city investors’". The article goes on to warn that personal taste shouldn't come into decisions made by the planning committee of Glasgow City Council. Initially, I was curious about who exactly the "senior Council source" quoted is - perhaps someone who was upset at having a decision rejected at an earlier Planning Committee? I'm not on the Planning Committee, so I would hesitate to guess who...

It made me think though - while the City Plan sets out various planning guidelines and principles, surely aesthetic values must have some place. Everyone has their own personal tastes - and that's a good thing. I'd decorate a room one way, my neighbour will choose something entirely different. So why should the influence of personal taste stop completely at the doors of the committee room? Otherwise, what kind of city will we end up with? If it's a city where buildings are juxtaposed entirely inappropriately, will that not also "drive away city investors"? If some Councillors recognise something is ghastly, hideous or tacky, surely citizens of Glasgow and visitors to our city might just think the same? Much discussion is had on message boards like Hidden Glasgow over the merits of developments in the city, and many good points are raised. Important decisions on the future shape of Glasgow should also be allowed to be made both with the head and with the heart.

This issue also throws up a pet peeve of mine - that the Council is fast becoming (I'll be generous and say it isn't yet!) a rubber stamp for developers and the Evening Times. Decisions should be made because they're correct, not because they're convenient!