THE outside temperatures may have risen last week, but there was a considerable chill in the air last Thursday evening when members of Forfar Community Council met in the Town and County Hall.
The chilly atmosphere concerned the lack of action by Angus Council to clear paths and pavements in the town centre during the recent cold snap.
Whilst the local gritter drivers were praised to the hilt for their sterling effort in keeping the ro
ads clear, there was frustration that pedestrians who had struggled out of their homes were met with sheets of ice in town centre car parks and pavements.
Photographic evidence of the conditions facing residents of Brander Ha, The Gables, Springfield and Kirkriggs Court was also produced.
Taken on January 6 they showed the extent of the problem with a mass of ice which had not been touched for days.
Thanking the roads department staff and Tayside Contracts drivers for doing an "excellent job" gritting the roads, chairman Mrs Isobel Ross took issue with the pavements.
She said: "I think it is an absolute nonsense that, when people struggle out of the schemes to get into the town, they couldn't put a foot down from the West Port to the East Port and at the Cross.
"In that area we have the council office collecting rent, council tax, a couple of banks, the post office and a supermarket.
"There were also problems with The Vennel and Manor Street - it was an embarrassment that Manor Street had to be closed.
"My feeling is there should be a 'burgh squad' or a 'hit squad' when the snow comes to clear the main streets, sheltered housing complexes and steps in housing schemes."
Complaints had been received about ice covering paths and steps in Threewells Drive which was described as a "skating rink".
Prior to last Thursday's meeting former Forfar councillor Ron Scrimgeour, treasurer of Age Concern Angus, contacted the community council by letter to express his concerns.
He issued photographs taken on January 6 at Brander Ha, Springfield House, Kirkriggs Court and the Gables and revealed the impact the iced pavements had on local businesses and accident and emergency facilities.
He said: "The conditions under foot for residents, visitors, carers and other service providers are unacceptable given that the snow fell ten days before and remained.
"The reality of the situation today is that many residents of these facilities are in their eighties and nineties and family members who care for them can be in their sixties.
"The disappointing thing for many in the community was that councillors continually praised the staff who were working hard - no argument there.
"But councillors and Angus Council are the clients - they are there to assess and evaluate how successful the service was delivered and they failed to do that. They clearly do not understand their role in this regard. Only councillor Mark Salmond was reported as looking at the situation with the general public in mind and the effect the conditions for pedestrians had on businesses."
Looking ahead to this year, Mr Scrimgeour stated action had to be taken now.
He continued: "The four-day shutdown for council services next year needs to be looked at - given that communities and the commercial world have moved on, sadly to almost 365/24 hour operation.
"The council should be informed by the conditions prevailing in the commercial world and respond to it.
"Local government often complains when they are compared unfavourably to the business world and I can sympathise with that to some extent.
"However there is no point local government saying they are as good as the commercial sector but they don't do weekends or public holidays and don't respond and react to external conditions. "We had a plan and we stuck to it" is not acceptable.
"Footfall on the high streets was down 60% for the first week of the New Year and buses were under used because people could not walk safely to the bus stops.
"Accident and emergency referrals were up 60% and orthopaedic and fracture clinics were up 100% compared to last year. When old people particularly slip or fall and break bones, it can be the start of a major downturn in their overall health and quality of life."
Mrs Ross spoke of the problems for Angus Council staff who had to negotiate the pavements whilst carrying out visits to those in care homes and sheltered housing complexes.
She added: "We are the clients. We need some sort of assurance that this will not happen again.
"The roads were okay but the pavements were a mess.
"It's really not on that people are housebound or they can't walk on the pavement after struggling out to pay their council tax or to do their shopping."
Forfar Councillor Glennis Middleton also praised the work carried out by the local gritter drivers and workmen as they battled against the falling temperatures.
She said: "I think they have done a wonderful job, working really long hours. But they can only work within the policy set down by the council.
"Tayside Contracts are contracted by Angus Council to do the work. The men can only go where they are instructed to go.
"If there is a problem with the quality then that has to be looked at. I would have thought it should have been looked at sometime around the new year, rather than, as has been suggested by the administration, after the crisis was over."
