A major review of winter maintenance services in North Yorkshire has proposed paying farmers annual retainers to help keep rural areas accessible during snow conditions.

The move comes under the largest review of the county’s roads network in 30 years, and sees an overhaul of the council’s winter maintenance strategy.

A special task group spent nine months examining proposals and working with parish and district councillors, the emergency services and neighbouring local authorities, as well as consulting the public. Paying up to 100 farmers across the region £200 retainers annually would help towards their fuel and vehicle maintenance costs.

This would be a formalisation of an arrangement which has seen farmers helping North Yorkshire County Council clear snow and ice from countryside routes for years.

The scheme is expected to cost about £17,500. Councillor John Fort, executive member for highways and transportation, said: ‘We must acknowledge the cost to farmers of this service, and the added advantage to the county council is that these are local people who know the routes, making the service more sustainable.’

Other recommendations from the group include automatically gritting second-priority roads every morning in which weather conditions require it, at the discretion of local area highways managers. It also proposes classification of gritting routes carried out in a way which ensures consistency across the county and suggests a constant review of road priority classifications.

The council is also keen to reassure local residents that decisions to treat the roads will be based on local information and knowledge, as well as hi-tech, computerised meteorological forecasting systems. The full council will consider the recommendations on 8 October.