Perth and Kinross: Winter starts later
Changing weather patterns has seen the winter maintenance period start
Last updated 7th Nov 2023
Changing weather patterns has led to Perth and Kinross Council’s (PKC) winter maintenance period starting later than it used to.
This year’s “winter” will run from October 16, 2023 to April 14, 2023.
PKC’s Environment, Infrastructure and Economic Development Committee was provided with an update on this year’s winter maintenance policy when it met on Wednesday, November 1.
PKC’s Road Maintenance Partnership manager Stuart D’All told the committee gritting used to start “far earlier in the year” than October 16. He was responding to a question from Independent councillor Colin Stewart about winter being “pushed back”.
Mr D’All said: “Our winter period used to start far sooner but because of the change in weather patterns we have pushed back the start of winter.
“We keep an eye on when we start doing more significant treatments and – in terms of this year – we’ve only done two treatments in the lead-in period which tends to indicate we’ve got the timings of when we start and go into the main period about right.
“It’s more a historic reference to the fact our winter activity used to start far earlier in the year than it does now.”