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Arbroath community group prepared to grit and bear it when mercury drops

True grit: winter volunteers John McCrank, Tobi Wood, Kathleen Wood, Neil Stirling, Geoff Lock and Kevin Barthorpe.
True grit: winter volunteers John McCrank, Tobi Wood, Kathleen Wood, Neil Stirling, Geoff Lock and Kevin Barthorpe.

An Arbroath community group is ready to grit roads and paths which are deemed low priority by Angus Council this winter.

Tenants and Residents Uniting Timmergreens and Hospitalfield (TRUTH) have purchased gritting equipment and have been provided with a ton of grit by the local authority.

Their scheme will initially be for residents in these areas of Arbroath with mobility issues, who have their bins put out by the council.

However, group chairman Kevin Barthorpe said he hoped to expand the service to other parts of the town.

He said: “Residents will already be aware that Angus Council like other councils have to prioritise the winter work load. This means prioritising the routes to be cleared and gritted.

“We will clear the paths of people with disabilities to ensure they can maintain the ability to get out and about. We would grit until we reach a path that is gritted.

“It will be a free service, with donations gratefully received. We’ve got to start somewhere. If the idea takes off then we would go into other parts of Arbroath.”

The group has purchased four gritting machines, and hi-vis equipment has been donated by local company Howdens.

There are seven volunteers ready to take action when the bad weather hits but Kevin said the group was looking for more people to get involved.

“We are looking for volunteers to use the equipment that they have in place,” he said.

“The time that help will be required is when there is sufficient snowfall that it prevents residents from leaving their homes.

“We are very grateful for the support from Angus Council and from the manager of Howdens, who said it is good to see projects such as this being put in place to help local residents.”

Anyone who might need the group’s assistance this winter, or who are looking to volunteer, are asked to email tagarbroath@hotmail.com or contact Kevin Barthorpe on 07716 226552.

The group would also like to hear from any companies who might be able to support their efforts and anyone who could provide a storage facility in the Hospitalfield and Bloomfield areas.