1. Introduction

Following the winter of 2009/10, the Scottish Cabinet Sub-committee on Scottish Government Resilience (SGoR) requested a review of winter maintenance operations to be conducted. This task was undertaken by the Scottish Salt Group which comprises a joint forum of representatives from Transport Scotland, the Society of Chief Officers of Transportation in Scotland (SCOTS), the Convention of Scottish Local Authorities (COSLA), the Society of Local Authority Chief Executives (SOLACE) and assisted by consultants Halcrow.

The review was carried out in consultation with Scottish Local Authorities, Trunk Road Operating Companies, salt producers, salt suppliers and weather forecasters. The recommendations contained in this report are a result of these consultations and are based on the main terms of reference to review the following:

a) Assessment of winter maintenance service providers’ current resilience and preparedness
b) Future winter service resilience standards
c) Scottish Salt Group current and future arrangements
d) Coordination and collaboration arrangements with other winter providers and stakeholders
e) Supplier and Transport Scotland owned salt stock considerations
f) Sharing of depots and salt stocks
g) Contingency planning policies
h) Joint winter exercises review
i) Review of Mutual aid arrangements
j) Communication review
k) Review of legal liabilities
l) Future winter working arrangements

A copy of the questionnaire sent out to all local authorities and trunk road operators is attached at Annex C. Scottish Government Resilience, SCOTS and DfT are undertaking separate reviews and many Scottish Local Authorities are also reviewing their own winter maintenance arrangements. The recommendations in this report have therefore been restricted to those under the direct control of the Scottish Salt Group and/or Transport Scotland. The timing of this report and the limited time before the next winter must also be borne in mind.

This report will form part of a wider review of the resilience of Scottish transport which will be published in the autumn.

In addition, it is not intended that this report repeats the research and recommendations from the UK Roads Liaison Group (UKLRG), Lessons from The Severe Weather February 2009 report, http://www.ukroadsliaisongroup.org/liaison/winter , published in July 2009 following the then considered exceptional winter of 2008/09. The UKRLG report contained several recommendations to develop and improve the service in winter. While the UKLRG report principally considered England, wider UK factors were taken into account and consultation was carried out across the UK. Much of the supporting information contained in the UKLRG report with regard to weather trends, climate change, weather forecasting, salt suppliers, and operational practice and the recommendations, remains relevant and reference should made to it for further background information.