Issue - meetings

The winter maintenance service enables the residents of Surrey to carry out their everyday activities during periods of winter weather. Preventing icy roads and keeping priority roads and footways usable during snowy conditions contributes to the corporate goals by keeping residents safe as they travel about. It also maintains the availability of key routes so residents have choices on travel and the impact on the economy of severe weather is minimised.

The existing barns have insufficient capacity to store all of the salt stocks under cover and the Merrow barn is at the end of its useful life. There is a major lack of salt storage capacity in east Surrey, which compromises the services ability to keep the  network treated during snow events. The weather conditions in east Surrey usually result annually in more precautionary salting runs being undertaken than in west Surrey The current depot locations result in the service operating a larger gritter fleet in order to pre-treat the priority network within agreed response times.

This report provides the business case for investment in an additional winter maintenance depot in east Surrey, re-provision of depot facilities more centrally located within west Surrey and a new, larger capacity replacement for the life expired salt barn at Merrow Depot, Guildford.

N.B. an annex containing exempt information is contained in Part 2 of the agenda – item 18.

[The decisions on this item can be called in by either the Council Overview Board or the Economic Prosperity, Environment and Highways Scrutiny Board]

1.     That the business case for the provision of new/refurbished highway winter maintenance facilities at Beare Green, Lyne Lane (Chertsey) and Merrow be approved.

2.     That approval be delegated, to proceed to appoint consultants and contractors to undertake the design and construction of the proposed works, to the Chief Property Officer, in consultation with the Cabinet Member for Business Services, subject to the following pre-conditions: receipt of planning consent and confirmation that agreed contracts do not exceed the total capital investment identified in paragraph 2 of Agenda Item 18.

3.     That it be noted that following the completion of works at Beare Green and Lyne Lane, the depot accommodation included in Agenda Item 18  will be surplus to requirements.

Reasons for Decisions

The provision of a new depot in east Surrey and the relocation of an existing depot in west Surrey, both on existing council land, will ensure that the Council’s resilience to effectively respond to snow events is enhanced. The new depot will increase the salt stock stored locally in east Surrey from 4,500 to 7,100 tonnes. The revised network of depots will also be better located to maintain the pre-treatment of highways routes during icy weather within the agreed response times.

The replacement of the life expired barn at Merrow will provide additional salt storage capacity, reduce the stock loss through erosion and minimise potential leachate contamination.

[The decisions on this item can be called in by the Economic Prosperity, Environment and Highways Board]

The Cabinet Member for Highways, Transport and Flooding introduced the report by saying that the locations of the Highways Winter Maintenance Depots across the county had been looked at and that the aim was to ensure better distribution across Surrey. As a result there was a plan to open two depots and expand another one.

He explained that there were issues with the deterioration of salt due to the condition of the depot buildings and by replacing the current depots this would improve distribution of salt during bad weather. As a result, it would be a better deal for residents, would save money and be more efficient.

The Cabinet Member for Wellbeing and Public Health said that it was good to look at the whole county and that she was particularly pleased to see the Beare Green depot remaining open as part of the solution as it was a depot in the heart of a rural community.

RESOLVED:

1.     That the business case for the provision of new/refurbished highway winter maintenance facilities at Beare Green, Lyne Lane (Chertsey) and Merrow be approved.

2.     That approval be delegated, to proceed to appoint consultants and contractors to undertake the design and construction of the proposed works, to the Chief Property Officer, in consultation with the Cabinet Member for Business Services, subject to the following pre-conditions: receipt of planning consent and confirmation that agreed contracts do not exceed the total capital investment identified in paragraph 2 of Agenda Item 18.

3.     That it be noted that following the completion of works at Beare Green and Lyne Lane, the depot accommodation included in Agenda Item 18  will be surplus to requirements.

Reasons for Decisions

The provision of a new depot in east Surrey and the relocation of an existing depot in west Surrey, both on existing council land, will ensure that the Council’s resilience to effectively respond to snow events is enhanced. The new depot will increase the salt stock stored locally in east Surrey from 4,500 to 7,100 tonnes. The revised network of depots will also be better located to maintain the pre-treatment of highways routes during icy weather within the agreed response times.

The replacement of the life expired barn at Merrow will provide additional salt storage capacity, reduce the stock loss through erosion and minimise potential leachate contamination.