Despite the recent thaw, I have continued to receive concerns about the state of roads - and particularly pavements across the West End - with ice.
I'm grateful to the Winter Maintenance team who have today responded to my concerns about the very icy cul de sacs in Invergowrie Drive.
I have had a number of calls about the state of the path/steps from the Tullideph Sheltered Housing from Tullideph Place down to Logie Street. The elderly residents need to use this to get to the bus and several have unfortunately fallen. Also, Tullideph Street is still difficult for pedestrians.
I have also again raised winter maintenance issues in Ancrum Drive and Glamis Drive - and at other locations across the West End.
The Roads Maintenance Partnership Manager at Tayside Contracts advised me earlier today as follows :
"There is no difference in priority given to clearing adopted footways at locations of DCC or RSL sheltered housing. Adopted footways have been attended to in accordance with the winter maintenance policy i.e. priority routes and then back ups. Some sheltered housing may be located on the priority routes and others may not.
There has been a priority of clearing DCC sheltered housing from the housing access to the boundary of a council owned footway (not necessarily adopted). If we haven’t been able to clear the footway at an identified DCC or RSL sheltered housing complex, resource has been deployed to hand spread grit. It has become clear following the recent snow fall that this may not be adequate and we will be looking to review this to consider providing an access route to a cleared footway.
Excavators being used since the end of December have been large scale machines and these have been used in the main to clear carriageways and where feasible the associated footway. This is due to the large build up of snow/ice and the small plant which is more accessible to footways becoming ineffective."