"There is no shortage of fuel supplies in the county," says Wiltshire Council

Wednesday, 29 September 2021 01:00

Wiltshire Council has issued an update on the fuel situation in Wiltshire, and its own reserves, after national concerns of disruption to supply have led to some people filling up earlier than usual.

"There is no shortage of fuel supplies in the county, and if people just buy what they need, there is enough for all motorists. Some petrol stations do have temporary supply issues, but these are being caused by increased demand over a short period of time," says the council.

Currently, council services that have their own fuel supplies, or rely on council stores, have good supplies of fuel to last them several weeks, but some services that rely on getting fuel from public petrol station forecourts, such as social workers and taxis, only have enough continue for the next two to three days without refilling.

Cllr Dr Mark McClelland, Cabinet Member for Transport, said: “Wiltshire is not suffering from fuel shortages, so we need to make this very clear: there is no need for people to fill up more than usual or buy more than they need.

“People should fuel their vehicles as normal, and then we will be able to return to the usual situation of there being enough fuel for everyone when they need it.

“At present, we have sufficient supplies at our depots to keep council vehicles running for several weeks, and our contractors have enough fuel to ensure that bins are emptied and Wiltshire’s highways are maintained.

“However, if the changed pattern in demand continues, it may mean that some of our frontline teams that purchase fuel from petrol station forecourts – such as social workers and care workers – are unable to get the fuel they need. If that were to happen, these vital operations will be prioritised, which would have a knock-on effect on some of our discretionary services.

“We are continuing to monitor the situation to ensure that all our services have the fuel they need. We also have a fuel plan in place to deal with situations like this, and we are ready to help partners in the NHS and other essential services if required.

“We hope this national situation is resolved as quickly as possible over the coming days, but we are well placed to deal with any local issues, and to keep our essential services running for our residents".

More from Local News

Shops to stay open for 'Festive Shopping' evening

Shops will open until 7 p.m. on Thursday, December 5th, for an evening of festive shopping in Salisbury, the City of the Stars, this Christmas.
A step towards a safer community as Speedwatch group gets underway

Laverstock & Ford Parish Council saw their inaugural Community Speedwatch get underway this month after some initial setbacks.
Trainee teacher takes part in prestigious Lord Mayor’s Show in London to raise awareness of liver disease

A trainee teacher and marathon runner who is waiting for a liver transplant, was a special guest at the Lord Mayor’s Show in London last Saturday, representing the British Liver Trust, the UK’s leading liver health charity.
Residents encouraged to ‘Ask the Leader’ at event in Amesbury

Wiltshire Council is continuing to host its series of community events across the county where people can ask questions to find out more about the work of the council, with the Leader of the Council having visited 16 of Wiltshire’s 18 community areas so far.
Three men arrested in connection with van break-in series

Wiltshire Police have arrested three people in connection with an investigation into thefts from vans across the county, during which thousands of pounds worth of power tools have been stolen.
Wiltshire Council working hard to reduce overspend

Wiltshire Council has provided its second formal update of the 2024/25 financial year, which shows its previously forecasted overspending has reduced significantly.
Wiltshire's recycling collection to change from 2027

Wiltshire Council’s Cabinet has agreed its future approach to collecting recycling when its current contracts to carry out this service come to an end in 2026.
Salisbury based trains fitted with new anti-slip tech

A new initiative between Network Rail and South Western Railway has more than doubled the number of trains treating the railway and keeping the tracks leaf-free this Autumn.