Winter weather
Information and useful advice on travel and services during winter weather.
Remember you don't need to sign up to Twitter or Facebook to read our updates.
Roads and gritting
Our depot in Thornliebank has a salt barn, to keep salt dry and in good condition.
You can pick up salt from the depot for your personal use, although you'll need to bring your own container, or from any of the 253 standard and 18 community grit bins spread across East Renfrewshire. Here is a list of grit bin locations in East Renfrewshire.
Specialist weather forecasts alert the council to any severe weather on the way. And priority routes are treated before freezing temperatures start.
Roads in East Renfrewshire are treated during winter on the basis of the following priorities:
Main roads such as A727 East Kilbride Road or A736 Lochlibo Road.
Access to fire stations.
Bus route to schools.
Main bus routes.
Routes to local employment areas.
Not every road can be included in the priority routes, especially as there are 471km of roads in East Renfrewshire - that's enough to go from here to Edinburgh and back three times.
If there is heavy snow or long spells of icy weather, when the priority routes are done, our aim is to work through the ones that are left as soon as we can.
We will continue to use specialised footpath salt spreading and snow clearing equipment. This will treat our footways starting with shopping areas and moving to other areas for example near schools during severe weather.
Tips for drivers:
During icy or snowy weather, you should:
Keep your windscreen clear
Reduce speed
Brake gently
Increase the gap between you and the car in front
Use dipped headlights when visibility is poor
Use the highest gear possible
Avoid hills if possible
Consider using snow tyres
Take care all of the time.
Tips for pedestrians
During icy or snowy weather, you should:
Wear sensible footwear
Don't go out unless you need to
Wrap up warmly
Take care all of the time.
Although the council looks after the vast majority of local roads we don't deal with any of the M77 from Malletsheugh towards Kilmarnock, or the Glasgow Southern Orbital route (A726).
These are looked after by the private contractors Amey and Connect.
Useful contacts:
You can contact the council on 0141 577 3417/3001 during office hours Fax 0141 577 3414 or phone 0800 373 635 out of office hours.You can contact Amey or Connect for the M77 and the GSO (A726) on 0800 028 1414.Weather forecasting
Meteogroup
Our roads service receives a specific road weather forecast service from the specialist forecasting company Meteogroup.
This includes 24/7 access to a forecaster, a five day forecast, and immediate notification of any critical amendments, for example changes in frost or snowfall likelihood and timing.
Meteogroup also provide a web based portal to interrogate weather forecasts, monitor actual conditions, access historical information, interrogate road surface condition sensors and facilitate communications with other councils and agencies.
The National Severe Weather Warning Service (NSWWS)
NSWWS provides warnings to the general public and emergency responders, giving up to five days advance notice of disruptive weather conditions. The warnings are issued by the Met office. The Civil Contingencies Service (CCS) receives and distributes these severe weather warnings within East Renfrewshire Council departments.
Public Weather Service (PWS) weather advisor
The Met Office has a team of regionally based public weather service advisors in Scotland. They are able to provide more detailed information in advance of periods of severe weather in addition to the severe weather warnings.
NHS and health services
The 'get ready for Winter' campaign this year puts the spotlight on the range of available NHS services, how and when they should be accessed, and how people can self-care during the winter months.
Plan ahead and make sure you are prepared for winter.
Ask your pharmacist for help treating common winter ailments such as colds, coughs and flu.
Use routine doctor's appointments where possible and only rely on out of hours services when you can't wait to see your own doctor.
Make sure your medicine cabinet is well stocked and know your own GP opening hours particularly over Christmas and New Year.
Make sure you plan ahead for repeat prescriptions. One of the best things you can do this winter is to try to keep fit and well.
Useful contacts:
During out-of-hours periods telephone your GP surgery (for automatic transfer to NHS 24) or NHS 24 on 08454 24 24 24.More advice at the NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde website.
Scottish water
Scottish Water's winter code encourages residents to:
Protect your pipes
Be prepared and
Heat, insulate and protect your home.
They are also urging holiday homeowners, businesses, agents and landlords to take steps to heat, insulate and protect properties and any vacant commercial properties.
Last year many partner organisations had links from their website to our online information and we want to make you aware that this is again available to the council. We want to ensure customers are aware of the online advice, to help them keep their properties safe this winter.
Useful contacts:
Visit the Scottish Water website where you can view Scottish Water's winter information, films and advice.Useful winter advice
The 'Get ready for winter' campaign by Scottish Government can be found on the national website. It provides valuable guidance in respect of protecting your home, communities, travelling, health and well-being. The 'Ready Scotland' website assists with Community Resilience in Scotland.
Communities are encouraged to prepare for emergencies such as severe cold winter weather by developing a community emergency plan.
A template and guidance document is available online for Renfrewshire Council at East Renfrewshire's. This template plan assists communities in identifying resources and skills which they could use to help themselves during an emergency.
