By Gary Cooper

A COUNCILLOR will make a renewed plea for more cash to be ploughed into treating Angus glens roads at weekends this winter.

Ian Mackintosh will raise the issue at the full meeting of Angus Council later this month after his latest attempts to secure an improvement were rebuffed.

The Kirriemuir councillor is refusing to give up on his long-standing quest to have the glens routes given higher priority for gritting.

He is angry isolated glens routes are only treated between Monday and Friday, leaving residents and visitors without snow or ice clearance during weekends.

Mr Mackintosh made his latest stand at Angus infrastructure services committee, where councillors were asked to back a near-£1.6 million spending package on keeping the county’s roads and pavements clear this coming winter.

“I can’t support this winter maintenance policy,” he said.

“The glens roads are the highest in Angus and for two days out of seven these roads are not treated.

“The excuse is made that no one lives there, but there is a considerable number of people who do live out there.

“Over Christmas and New Year they can be completely isolated.

“This has got to be looked at again. These people need help.”

He appealed to the roads department to examine using farmers, who are often supplied with tractor-mounted ploughs from the council to clear routes near them, to carry out the extended coverage.

“Have we really explored things fully,” Mr Mackintosh asked. “Most of these farmers are quite willing to work at weekends.”

He asked the council to find out the cost of looking after the glens routes at weekends and was supported by Bob Myles, who also represents a large rural area.

But roads chief Ronnie McNeil said it was not practical to extend weekend treatment to all of the auxiliary routes in the county.

“I think Angus Council is doing as much as it can with the budget for winter maintenance,” he said. “Any increase in winter maintenance would have to come from another budget.”

He admitted glen routes have a higher risk of isolation during heavy snow at weekends, but added, “However, any route can be treated outwith the normal hours of coverage under the winter maintenance policy if there is an emergency threatening life or limb and such action has been taken in the past.”

The policy was passed by 12 votes to two, although Mr Mackintosh said he will bring it up at full council on September 15.