Farmers' offers of gritting help have been ignored by Highland Council - claim

GRITTING budgets are so tight that the council cannot afford to take farmers on to help with salt spreading.

Farmers have been coming forward with offers to help keep roads and pavements clear of snow and ice this winter after an Inverness Courier report revealed the council lags behind other local authorities which have networks of agricultural labour they can draw on in bad weather.

It emerged only one farmer in Highland is contracted to clear snow and spread grit when winter storms make conditions so dangerous the council’s own road workers struggle to cover the network.

By comparison, Aberdeenshire Council has 123 farmers it can rely on, while Perth and Kinross has 70. The council put out a tender for the service in 2014 but the response was poor.

And now, Alan McLean, managing director of farmers’ co-operative HBS Ring at Tore, has contacted the Inverness Courier saying that is happy to once again offer his services.

He holds a database with up to 1000 farmers and forestry workers.

He said: "Over the past few years HBS Ring has tried to explain to Highland Council on several occasions that member farmers and contractors would be very willing to clear snow and apply salt to the roads during the winter period.

"We have met with Highland Council managers several times over the last few years, attended meetings for several years and tendered for the work on at least two occasions. However, our offers of help to clear snow appear to have fallen by the wayside and appear to have been disregarded."

He said his staff were more than capable of putting together an army of farmers to undertake such tasks. Just one phone call into the HBS office would result in a search for farmers with suitable equipment, experience and skill going out to clear public roads or to apply surface dressings of salt.

Billing is also carried out by the machinery ring with an automatic payment being made to the farmers supplying their machines and services by direct debit.

Mr McLean said any expectation that farmers should carry this work out for free was "unrealistic".

He added: "The reality is that farming is very much under the cosh at present with low levels of profitability being achieved, if at all.

"As such, snow clearance and salting work, which is usually carried out in very poor conditions and at unsociable times of the day, should be rewarded. Realistic levels of payment should be made to farmers and contractors who are community-minded and willing to help out."

But the council said it was unlikely to be able to pay to enlist the help of farmers this winter.

It is facing a £49 million black hole in its budget and is searching for savings.

A spokeswoman said the council would not be going into discussions with farmers at this present time.

The spokeswoman added: "The council has been in communication with HBS Ring at Tore in the past to explain that farmers and contractors would only be needed in extreme situations and not for general gritting and snow clearing duties. The last few winters have been mild and hence there was no requirement for their services.

"The council has met with representatives from the Ring previously and are happy to meet with any organisation or individuals that feel they can positively contribute to improving services for the communities we live in."

She said a new tender process will not start until the summer of 2017. The current contract with one farmer does not expire until December 2017.

Carolyn Caddick, Liberal Democrat councillor for Inverness South, said the council should at least talk to farmers now.

She said: "I understand there are budget pressures but there may be some way of finding savings and it would certainly make for a safer Highland if we had farmers who were contracted to help out when the conditions got really bad."

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