Stirling Council Winter Service

We maintain around 549 salt bins across Stirling to support public self-help during winter weather. These bins are available for use on public roads and footpaths only, and are not intended for private property.

Salt bins are placed to help treat non-priority routes, especially where road conditions are challenging. Bins are checked and topped up regularly, especially after adverse weather, as resources allow.

Salt bins are located where vehicles can access for refilling. They may be placed near footways with treacherous conditions, and at underpasses and footbridges where appropriate.

Community Salt Bins

For areas that do not meet standard criteria, community bins may be provided through local resilience plans, with a maximum of two per square kilometre.

Salt is for public use only on adopted roads and paths. Priority for refilling is given to higher altitude locations after main routes are treated.

Priority 1: Strategic routes

These routes shall normally receive precautionary salt treatment between 5:30am and midnight, clearance of snow accumulations 24 hours per day and the treatment of ice formations 24 hours per day.

These are key roads forming the core network, including:

• main urban traffic routes
• distributor roads
• bus routes and emergency service access
• routes to all primary and secondary schools from the nearest Priority 1 road

Priority 2: Important secondary routes

These routes are lesser traffic routes and key rural roads, such as urban spine roads into housing and industrial areas and roads with steep inclines or sharp bends prone to icing

Priority 3: Local access roads

These routes are the most significant of the remaining network, providing local access within communities.

Priority 4: Other public roads

These routes comprise all other roads, with focus on difficult junctions, steep gradients, bends, or short inclines and nearby stretches of road affected by these features

Footway is the term for the pedestrian walking surface or pavement adjacent, parallel, or close to the carriageway.

Footpath is the term for a pedestrian walking surface between or remote from carriageways.

Priority F1

These are footways with the highest pedestrian usage. 

These include main town and village shopping areas, pedestrian precincts, main routes to urban schools, main access routes to hospitals, clinics, identified public buildings, major sheltered housing complexes and other high-risk areas.

Steps and ramps to underpasses and footbridges together with any associated footpaths.

Adopted footways to and within sheltered housing or residential home complexes for the elderly.

Priority F2

These are footways which are secondary walking routes.

These routes include main pedestrian routes in major housing developments and the main access routes to sheltered housing complexes and other establishments. Where day centres have been identified as having substantial pedestrian usage, these will be treated under this category.

Cycleways will be treated where they form part of the carriageway or footway and will be treated in accordance with the priority for that section of carriageway or footway.

The service produces a Winter service plan and a Winter service strategy which is reviewed annually.

The Minimum Critical Network (MCN) identifies the most essential roads that must be prioritised during severe weather and major incidents. It helps ensure that key routes remain open and safe, even in challenging conditions such as:

• heavy snow and ice
• extreme heat
• industrial action
• major incidents
• local emergencies

Why It Matters

The MCN supports resilience planning by focusing on the most critical parts of the road network. This allows services to continue operating and ensures that emergency access is maintained.

How It Works

• Priority Routes: The MCN includes strategic and main distributor roads only. These are the most important for connectivity and access.
• Efficient Resource Use: By limiting the network to key routes, gritting and treatment resources can be used more effectively.
• Flexible Response: In exceptional circumstances, route priorities may be adjusted to keep essential roads open.
• Ongoing Review: The network is regularly reviewed with partner organisations to reflect changes and ensure coverage where there are few or no alternative routes.

What to Expect

During prolonged adverse conditions, treatment of MCN routes may take longer than standard procedures. The focus remains on keeping the most vital roads clear and safe.