Concerns for elderly in big freeze

Dec 7 2010 by Iain Howie, Perthshire Advertiser Tuesday

A SNOW-bound elderly Perthshire resident yesterday slammed a lack of outside help in the big freeze.

Concerned Alison Lawrie (79) of Invergowrie’s Station Road said she and her neighbours have struggled in the harsh conditions – and she has not been able to leave the street in more than a week.

She told the PA she is running short of medication, and she has injured herself in an effort to clear nearly four feet of snow from around her car.

And despite pleading with Perth and Kinross Council for advice and help, the road has remained impassable.

She explained yesterday: “I think it’s ridiculous. The elderly and people around my street have just been forgotten about. It’s been more than a week and nothing’s changed here.

“We pay an incredible amount of money to the council but its response isn’t up to scratch.

“I have contacted the council but was told it was doing everything it could – except I’ve not seen anything from them in our street throughout this bad weather.

“I don’t know who to turn to. I am a widow and my family live in Berwick-upon-Tweed and Aberdeenshire.

“I can’t expect my GP surgery, which is four miles away, to drop off my medication as the street is too dangerous.

“There are no buses nearby and I injured my hand trying to clear the snow to get my car out.”

But the council’s winter weather update explained it was doing all it could in the conditions, with staff working extra hours to help out.

It said: “The council's main priority over the weekend has been clearing access for town centre businesses and around all schools to prepare for schools opening.

“The council treats all roads and footpaths according to an agreed priority system. More information about this is available on the council website.

“All priority routes continue to be treated at least twice daily, as needed. The improvement in weather, and gap in heavy snowfall, has provided a window of opportunity to focus more on non priority routes and good progress is being made.

“Staff have worked additional hours over the weekend and this work will continue.”

Joe Riley, PKC’s operations supervisor, added: “At the moment council staff are supplementing the work being done by Tayside Contracts by concentrating on clearing pavements in town, residential areas and priority areas like doctors surgeries and pensioner housing.

“We have mini-tractors to clear the pavements but there is just so much snow even they are having difficulty sometimes. We are also making sure the salt and grit bins are full and cleared of snow, so that people can clear the public footways in their areas.

“There are definitely more householders out clearing up round where they live this year which is great. Most people understand that we are doing all that we can.”