Keeping Fife moving during winter

Winter gritting 

As winter approaches, Fife Council is once again reassuring residents that plans and services are in place to help communities through the coming months.

Colder temperatures have been creeping in of late and we’ve seen some particularly wet and windy days in recent weeks, so it’s really important to be prepared and ready for more severe winter weather when it comes.

Services have been busy planning ahead for winter and the council is committed to keeping the Kingdom moving whatever the weather has in store for us.

A brief dip in temperatures saw our gritters operating for the first time on 17th October to spread the first load of grit this winter on all primary routes across Fife.

Councillor Altany Craik, Fife Council Spokesperson - Finance, Economy & Strategic Planning, explained: “The council has been planning ahead for winter since the summer months to ensure that everything is in place and our gritting teams are ready to keep Fife moving through the winter months.

“The council’s winter fleet includes 26 vehicles ready to treat Fife’s roads and a further 45 vehicles which can be used during severe conditions, including 30 small footpath tractors capable of clearing and salting footpaths.

“This year we have taken a delivery of 8,000 tonnes of salt, bringing our current stock level to 22,500 tonnes and if required we will add a further 3,000 tonnes during the winter period.

“We can deploy additional personnel from other parts of the council to work on the road network when weather is extremely bad and we also have arrangements for external resources, plant and equipment. By taking these steps, we aim to keep Fife’s roads safe during the winter.

“As always during severe weather, key staff will be available 24 hours a day, seven days a week to keep our road network open. Of course, it’s also important for Fifers to make sure they know where to find the information they need ahead of any severe weather.”

Before any severe weather hits, make sure you do these three things to get the important information you’ll need:

  • Go online to www.fife.gov.uk/winter - There’s a range of information on how to prepare whether at home, in the car and in your community.
  • Follow Fife Council on Facebook, X, Instagram and WhatsApp, as when severe weather hits all winter updates will appear as they happen.
  • Tune in to your local radio stations: Original 106 FM (Central Fife 96.1, West Fife 95.2, St Andrews 105.4, East Neuk 106.3), K107FM (107), Forth One (97.3) and Tay FM (96.4 & 102.8) will have all the latest updates. All of these are available on DAB radio as well except K107FM at this time.

Individual school closures are broadcast when the decision is made not to open. The head teacher will make the final decision whether or not to open the school during severe weather. This decision will be made with as much notice as possible.

If you need emergency help during severe weather, speak to an advisor by calling us on 03451 550011 from Mon-Fri, 8am until 6pm (Option 3 for Transportation/Road Faults) or 03451 550099 between 6pm-8am on weekdays, at weekends and on public holidays.

For all information on how to stay safe during winter in Fife go to www.fife.gov.uk/winter

For general communications updates, please follow:

And search for the Fife Council channel on WhatsApp via www.whatsapp.com

Our main photo shows John Mitchell, Head of Roads and Transportation Services; Councillor Altany Craik, Fife Council Spokesperson - Finance, Economy & Strategic Planning; Lee Easdale, Lead Consultant – Roads Maintenance; and Stuart Cameron, Skilled Roadworker.

Also pictured in the background are some of our winter fleet, including the named gritters ‘Brad Grit’ and ‘Salt-n-Vinegar Grits’.

Locality