Winter Service Review
North Ayrshire Council · 5 September 2025
Back to Ayrshire Shared Services Committee — 5 September 2025 and its agenda
Text extracted from the council's PDF. Layout and reading order may differ from the original.
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AYRSHIRE SHARED SERVICE JOINT COMMITTEE 05 September 2025 Report by the Head of Roads - Ayrshire Roads Alliance _____________________________________________________________ WINTER SERVICE REVIEW PROGRESS REPORT ______________________________________________________________ Purpose of report 1. The purpose of this Report is to advise the Joint Committee regarding the Review of the Winter Service Recommendations 2. It is recommended that the Joint Committee: (i) Consider improvements introduced for 2025/26 Winter Season (ii) Acknowledge ongoing improvements (iii) Consider winter and other emergencies funding levels in relation to current levels of service. Background 3. The Winter season began with the first treatment for below-zero temperatures, hoar frost and ice on 11 Nov ’24, marking the start of winter operations, The coldest temperature in November was recorded on 29th, dropping to -7.5. December ’24 was generally mild, though it saw a minimum road surface temperature (RST) of -5.8. The first snow flurries were forecast on 18 December, but overall conditions remained manageable. Rain was more prevalent than snow and by Christmas day, RSTs had risen to +8.0, reflecting unseasonably mild conditions. Through January to March ’25, snow was forecast on occasion, but no prolonged or extreme weather events occurred. The lowest RST for winter was recorded during this period, dropping to -9.0, prompting precautionary treatments. In summary, Winter 24/25 was relatively mild and manageable. Despite some sharp overnight frosts and brief snow forecasts, there were no significant extreme events and conditions allowed for consistent and effective winter maintenance responses
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The combined figures for winter 2024/25 across both East Ayrshire and South Ayrshire are noted below: Year Salt Used (t) Treatment Runs 2024/25 13,972 2,755 2023/24 12,514 2,449 2022/23 12,356 2,295 2021/22 11,689 2,299 2020/21 17,647 3,016 Main report/main issues 4. Gritting Gritting routes were originally established in 1996 and have only been fully reviewed once in South Ayrshire since that time. SAC existing Priority 1 (P1) gritting routes treat 507.63km (43.12%) of the overall public road network of 1177.30km. However, 442.11km (37.55%) of the public road network is travelled as part of a priority 1 gritting operation. EAC existing Priority 1 (P1) gritting routes treat 563.88 km (46.29%) of the overall public road network of 1,218.11km. However, 347.40km (28.52%) of the public road network is travelled as part of a priority 1 gritting operation. 5. Route Optimisation Following the 2024 Route Optimisation exercise undertaken in collaboration with consultants, Safecote, across South and East Ayrshire Councils, it has been concluded that no further efficiencies can be achieved within SAC. Current route design and coverage already meet the required standards and no additional reductions are feasible. In EAC, analysis of data identified potential efficiencies by reducing the number of P1 gritting routes from 10 to 8. While this reduction retains existing network treatment coverage, it has introduced challenges in completing all routes within the previously stated 3-hour target. Dry runs are currently being carried out with local knowledge amendments applied where required to address these issues before these route changes can be confirmed. A target date of mid-September 2025 has been set for the completion of all preparatory activities in advance of the winter season commencing on 20th October 2025. This includes, • Finalisation of optimised route designs • Software licensing and system updates • Staff training and familiarisation sessions
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• Production of operational support packs for frontline teams. These preparatory steps are essential to ensure a smooth transition to the new routing structure and to support effective service delivery throughout the winter period. 6. Storm Eowyn In January 2025 Ayrshire was hit by Storm Eowyn. Standby teams were on call throughout the duration of the storm offering assistance to partners such as Police Scotland, Scottish Fire and Rescue, and council teams such as Housing. In addition to the above, the Director of Housing Operations and Development was delegated by all three Ayrshire to provide direct liaison with the Scottish Government and Emergency Services from within Police Scotland Incident Room at Helen St Glasgow. During the severe weather event roads were closed, and fallen tree and other debris was removed to ensure or communities remained as safe as possible: Storm Eowyn reported issues Issue reported East Ayrshire South Ayrshire Unsafe Building/Structure 7 3 Debris 9 4 Flooding 1 3 Tree down Blocked/ Closed Road 118 129 Power line 2 2 Traffic light 2 0 A dedicated Ayrshire Roads Alliance webpage was created and acted as a central point of live information updating our communities on road closures, where our teams were working and how to get in touch. During this time the Ayrshire Roads Alliance Facebook and X (formerly Twitter) channels were fully utilised with staff responding to messages and comments on each channel ensuring the ever-changing needs of our communities were met in an efficient and timely manner. Updates on Storm Eowyn recorded throughout the event, demonstrated that social media posts reached 231,313 people a 244% increase on other storm (Ashley, Bert and Daragh) social media posts. Ayrshire Roads Alliance social media Metric Reach Storm Eowyn Reach 231,313 Combined Reach (Storm Ashley, Bert,Darragh) 94,875
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Analytic data on the Ayrshire Roads Alliance website also highlights significant engagement levels with the Ayrshire Roads Alliance dedicated Storm Eowyn webpage, which accounted for 46% of the total website visits in January 2025. Ayrshire Roads Alliance website Metric Visits Storm Eowyn webpage views 6262 Total ARA website visits January 13494 7. Winter Service Plan, Gritter Tracking System & Community Grit Bins Based on valuable feedback from stakeholders, the Ayrshire Roads Alliance website and Winter Service Plan continually undergo significant improvements. These enhancements include the provision of more detailed winter information and improvements to Gritter Tracking, highlighting all streets on Priority 1 gritting routes as well as grit bin locations and the ability to request a grit bin or the filling of a grit bin online. The Ayrshire Roads Alliance continue to monitor and review stakeholder feedback ensuring that our services meet the needs of the community we serve. 8. The Ayrshire Roads Alliance teamed up with TrueView Visuals to advance the digital capabilities of its Gritter Tracking system. This system monitors the position of gritters and grit bins in real time during the winter period for East and South Ayrshire Councils. Gritting information is securely stored for 10 hours and is readily available to users who can easily access the system on various devices from the Ayrshire Roads Alliance website and obtain detailed information on out-of-hours winter service vehicle operations. 9. Social Media statistics continue to improve: 2023/2024 2024/2025 Post Type Number of posts Reach Number of posts Reach Winter gritting 43 470,099 33 754,170 Weather warning 44 121,502 26 161,107 Flood event 19 53,152 6 15,149 Storm Ashley 6 40,204 Storm Bert 8 18,445 Storm Darragh 5 36,266 Storm Eowyn 20 231,313 644,753 1,256,654 Figures taken from October to May
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10. The treatment of footway routes across ARA network involves collaboration and assistance from various stakeholders, such as: • ARA Roads Maintenance Unit, • EAC Greener Communities • Private Contractors These parties assist with salt spreading and brine treatments, while the routes undergo annual reviews to ensure optimal functionality. 11. Grit Bins remain on site throughout the entire year and are monitored throughout for acts of vandalism or misuse. 12. Details of grit bin and community grit bin locations are published on Gritter Tracker, accessible from the Ayrshire Roads Alliance website. Members of the public can report a problem, or request their nearest grit bin is refilled by entering a postcode. Grit bins can be requested online with mandatory fields highlighted to ensure consistent information is received, resulting in timely decision-making and response to the recipient. 13. Since the 2023/24 winter season, a single Winter Controller has overseen treatment decisions across the entire Ayrshire Roads Alliance (ARA) network, covering six domains. This centralized approach has worked well and continued to do so during winter 2024/25, improving communications and coordination across all Winter operational depots. Wherever possible, treatments were reduced during the period 2200hrs and 0400hrs. However, when forecasts indicated a requirement, treatments were carried out during these hours. Treating roads during periods of minimal traffic offers limited benefit and incurs high costs. For treatments to be most effective, vehicle movements are needed to assist with salt dispersal and to help break up any accumulation of snow and ice. 14. We continue to monitor and report on the total number of Treatment Plan Actions (TPAs), with a particular focus on those occurring between 2200hrs and 0400hrs. Comparisons for the 2024/25 winter season are as follows: This data provides ongoing insight into operational efficiency and helps support decisions around timings of treatments, ensuring both effectiveness and cost control. EAC TPAs TPAs 2200- 0400hrs % 2200-0400hrs P1 Routes 82 (74 in 23/24) 13 (15 in 23/234) 15% Patrol only 12 (12 in 23/24) 3 (5 23/24) 25%
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SAC TPAs TPAs 2200- 0500hrs % 2200-0400hrs P1 Routes 78 (48 in 23/24) 7 (7 in 23/24) 8% Patrol only 4 (2 in 23/24 0 (1 in 23/24) - Domains Routes 40 (24 in 23/24) 8 (8 in 23/24) 20% 15. ARA recognises the potential cost savings of reducing treatments between 2200hrs and 0400hrs, where weather conditions permit. One key factor influencing cost is the rolling impact of overnight treatments, particularly the requirement to provide compensatory rest periods in line with the Working Time Directive. SAC • 2023/24 rest period costs - £14,997 • 2024/25 rest period costs - £18,135 • Increase - £3,138 SAC treats 8 routes internally, outsourcing only 2 routes to external Contractors. This heavier reliance on in-house operatives increases the requirement for rest periods following overnight treatments. The rise in rest period costs is also linked to an increase in TPAs, including Priority 1, patrol and domain routes, which necessitated more overnight working. EAC • 2023/24 rest period costs - £13,413 • 2024/25 rest period costs - £9,437 • Reduction - £3,976 EAC treats 5 routes internally, outsourcing 5 routes to external Contractors, which reduces reliance on internal operatives during overnight periods and results in lower rest period costs. However, this approach carries a significantly higher external Contractor cost, with a difference of approximately £291,000 compared to SAC. This highlights the trade off between internal delivery models and outsourcing – balancing labour-related costs against Contractor expenditure remains a key consideration in future service planning. 16. Salt Usage and Post Winter Review Salt orders were placed in September, November, January and March with a total of 14,500tonnes procured throughout the 2024/25 winter season to ensure continuous and responsive treatment coverage.
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Following the end of season, review meetings were held with Winter Controllers and Winter Supervisors to reflect on operational performance, identify challenges and discuss potential improvements. These discussions will inform planning and preparation for Winter 2025/26, ensuring the service continues to evolve and adapt based on lessons learned. 17. The Winter Service Plan is issued and made available to an agreed distribution list (2.3.1 in the Plan). This document will be reviewed and updated annually prior to winter commencing in October to include revisions/changes to the service delivery. Implications 19. Implications Yes No Paragraph number in report 1. Policy/Strategic Planning X 20, 21 & 22 2. Governance X 23 & 24 3. Human Resources X 4. Equality and Fairer Scotland Duty X 5. Financial X 27 6. Risk X 28 7. Community Wealth Building X 29 8. Net Zero X 30 Policy/Strategic planning implications 20. Winter Controller (WC) and Winter Supervisor (WS) current Roles and Responsibilities are detailed within the Winter Service Plan. This is being reviewed for the coming winter 2024/25 with roles being established and clearly defined for responsible officers. 21. Summer Controller (SC) was introduced in 2018/19 and continued throughout this Summer to improve communication across the Service. Duties include: • Risk to communities, SC will contact Senior Management immediately, from this the SC will then escalate to Chief Executive, Elected Members and Community Councils • SC assesses the Met Office forecast on a daily basis and will email Senior Management when preparations are required for a forecasted event i.e. high winds, severe cold weather, hot weather, heavy rain etc. • SC have familiarised themselves with organised events across Ayrshire • SC have familiarised themselves with the protocol for esplanades (SAC) i.e. in heavy rain/wind events, car parks are closed off to ensure safety of road users.
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22. Winter Resilience – Community Self-Help Gritting Groups Since 2018/19, the number of winter resilience groups across the ARA area has grown significantly – from 44 groups to 129. These volunteer groups play a vital role in supporting self-help footway gritting, enhancing community resilience during winter weather. ARA continues to support these groups by providing training, materials, equipment and PPE. Engagement with additional communities is ongoing and we aim to further expand our participation for Winter 2025/26, strengthening local capacity and ensuring greater coverage across our network. Governance Implications 23. The work of the Ayrshire Roads Alliance is undertaken in accordance with relevant legislation. 24. By virtue of the relevant statutory provisions, principally detailed within the Roads (Scotland) Act 1984, the Council as local roads authority is required to manage and maintain all publicly adopted roads within its area other than those which are maintained and managed by the Scottish Ministers. Human resources implications 25. The Winter Service Review has no direct impact on human resources. Equality Impact and Fairer Scotland duty implications 26. The Winter Service Review has no direct impact on Equality. Financial Implications Winter Service Outturn Summary 2024/25 vs 2023/24 2023/24 Labour Materials Hired Plant Fleet/ Plant Contractors TOTAL OUTTURN SAC £118,279 £270,654 £150,156 £3,238 £42,424 £584,751 EAC £127,240 £376,751 £113,451 £3,554 £127,270 £748,266
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2024/25 Labour Materials Hired Plant Fleet/ Plant Contractors TOTAL OUTTURN SAC £222,080 £289,856 £176,742 £4,706 £31,390 £724,773 EAC £182,774 £436,043 £125,858 £4,166 £322,399 £1,067,984 (incl. income £3,255) SAC • 2024/25 Total Outturn: £724,773 • 2023/24 Total Outturn: £584,751 • Increase: £140,022 The main contributor to the increase is labour costs, which rose by £103,801, due to factors such as increased staff hours and overtime requirements during prolonged treatment periods, evident in the increased TPAs above. There was a decrease in spend on external contractors by £11,934 reflecting a greater use of internal resources and reduced need for support services. EAC • 2024/25 Total Outturn: £1,067,984 • 2023/24 Total Outturn: £748,266 • Increase: £319,718 The most significant rise was in external contractors costs, up by £195,129, due to increased outsourcing to support treatment delivery during peak events. Material costs also increased by £59,292 which is attributed to higher salt usage due to weather conditions and increased TPAs. Risk Implications 27. Funding for winter service delivery remains an area of concern. The allocated budgets for 2024/25 were £600,000 (SAC) and £633,190 (EAC). Although Winter 24/25 was relatively mild and manageable, with some overnight frosts but no significant extreme weather events, both areas experienced outturns well above their allocated budgets. This highlights the financial pressures of delivering the service even under moderate conditions. Given this context, any future winter requiring above-average treatment frequencies or response to severe weather would present a significant financial challenge. This underscores the importance of ongoing efficiency measures and robust contingency planning.
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Community Wealth Building implications 28. The winter service contributes to the principles of Community Wealth Building by supporting resilient and inclusive local economies. It encourages local spending, promotes fair employment practices, and helps ensure that economic benefits are retained within the community, contributing to greater ownership and improved outcomes for local people. Net zero implications 29. The Ayrshire Roads Alliance Service Plan supports and links to East Ayrshire Climate Strategy Themes Theme 2: Transport Theme 4: Natural Environment Appendices (if applicable) None Background papers None Person to contact Jane Corrie, Head of Roads - Ayrshire Roads Alliance Tel No. 01563 503164 E-mail: jane.corrie@ayrshireroadsalliance.org Implementation Officer(s) Craig Knape – Strategic Manager – Ayrshire Roads Alliance Tel No. 01563 503164 E-mail: craig.knape@ayrshireroadsalliance.org Janice Kelly, Team Leader & Winter Lead - Ayrshire Roads Alliance Tel No. 01563 503164 E-mail: janice.kelly5@ayrshireroadsalliance.org