THOUSANDS of tonnes of salt are being stored by the council in the Borders as it prepares for winter.

The local authority's executive committee this week backed a plan bidding to keep communities safe through any adverse weather over the coming months.

Scottish Borders Council (SBC) has more than 18,000 tonnes of salt stocked, 1,200 grit bins, 41 gritters and 19 footpath gritters.

This year's winter service plan is similar to the one utilised in 2023/24, including a revised salting regime which could yield "significant potential savings".

It considers wider factors such as traffic levels before, during and after application and residual salt levels to determine the spread rate at which salt should be supplied.

Speaking at Tuesday's meeting, chief officer of roads Jason Hedley said: "We had a quiet winter during 2023/24 which appears to be in line with recent years and our plans for this year are well established and in place to ensure that we're as resilient as possible should we be faced with any winter weather events."

He added: "We have a reasonable amount of resource which will help us deliver a really, really good winter service.

"We will always have some challenges. We can't do everything, everywhere, all the time, I must stress that. There will be moments, significant periods where we can't fix the problem but we will always listen and take on feedback and try to respond."

Last year there were 162 planned preventative call outs to treat roads and footpaths in the Borders.

The council saw reduced salt use compared to 2022/23, while salt bin usage was above the long-term average with additional refills throughout the winter period.

Winter treatments extended into April and there were significant community self-help efforts through resilient community groups.

Tweeddale East councillor Julie Pirone said: "I use very, very rural roads in most of my journeys and it sometimes surprises me when the gritter passes me going the other way. We must be one of the best winter services across Scotland because I don't know how they do it, but they do it."

Mid Berwickshire councillor John Greenwell, portfolio holder for roads and public space development, said: “At this time every year we complete a thorough assessment of the impact of winter weather across the Scottish Borders, incorporating data from previous years and feedback from communities into a new winter service plan, to ensure we are best prepared for the winter ahead.

“It is designed to support our residents during the most challenging winter weather and help keep communities as safe as possible.

“With the Scottish Borders being the size it is geographically we are unable to be everywhere at once and we face a significant challenge trying to ensure all pedestrians and vehicles can move around safely at this time of year.

“That being said, we will be make every effort to be as prepared as possible and really appreciate the roles resilient community groups and individuals can play through self-help, allowing the council to concentrate its efforts to the areas that need it the most."