Issue - meetings

Winter Service is provided by Surrey County Council (SCC) to enable 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 and maintaining the availability of key routes so residents have choices on travel.  In addition the impact on the economy of severe weather is minimised. 

In the Medium Term Financial Plan (MTFP) a reduction of £340,000 has been made to the Winter Service Budget.  This saving could not be realised in 2016/17 and therefore one off compensating savings had to be made by reducing levels of service in other Highways and Transport areas. In 2017/18 there have been further budget reductions against other Highways & Transport activities, which has resulted in reductions to levels of service and significantly reduced the opportunity to continue to find compensating savings.

Surrey Highways officers and our contractor, Kier, have considered where savings could be made, primarily by changing ways of working, to ensure that as far as possible current levels of service are maintained.   We have been able to identify efficiencies that reduce costs whilst still retaining our ability to meet our statutory responsibilities and provide a resilient winter service.

[The decision on this item may be called in by the Environment and Infrastructure Select Committee]

RESOLVED:

1.         That the policy changes, policy amendment and savings recommendation summarised in paragraph 17 of the report be approved.

2.         the Environment and Infrastructure Select Committee recommendations as detailed within paragraph 14 of the report be noted.

Reason for Decisions:

To enable savings of £340,000 from the Winter Service Budget identified in the Medium Term Financial Plan to be realised.

[The decisions on this item can be called in by the Environment and Infrastructure Select Committee]

Mr Stephen Cooksey was given the opportunity to speak to this item as a Member previously involved with the task group under the previous council.  He made the following statements:

·         Policy change 2 was rejected by the task group as it was thought that one mini gritter was not enough for the whole county.

·         If the grit bins were not surveyed how would it be known if they were being used or needed refilling.

·         Policy change 4 should be reviewed after one year to see if it was working.

·         That saving recommendation 3 should be removed unless local committees could change officer recommendations.

The Cabinet Member for Highways introduced the report and responded to Mr Cooksey’s concerns as follows:

·         That the overall season length will be reduced in line with other authorities, but that the ability to react to an early cold spell will be still available.

·         The second mini gritter had not been widely used since it was added to the fleet and that routes have sufficient access for larger vehicles except in limited areas where a single mini gritter provides sufficient coverage and therefore felt comfortable having just the one mini gritter.

·         Members and the public reported when grit bins were empty and were encouraged to do so.  Grit bins reported as needing refilling would be refilled.  To stop surveying would save money and wasted journeys.

·         That policy changes 4 and 5 needed to be viewed together as each helped to deliver the other.  An in-house solution for software to manage grit bins is expected to be in place by next year.

·         A full list of routes that no longer meet the criteria as well as suggested changes for each area would be presented to every local/joint committee and not just chairmen, as it was recognised their local knowledge would be valuable in compiling the final gritting routes. 

·         The recommendations were supported by Environment and Infrastructure Select Committee with a few small amendments.

RESOLVED:

1.    That the policy changes, policy amendment and savings recommendation summarised in paragraph 17 of the report be approved.

2.    That Environment and Infrastructure Select Committee recommendations as detailed within paragraph 14 of the report be noted.

Reason for Decisions:

To enable savings of £340,000 from the Winter Service Budget identified in the Medium Term Financial Plan to be realised.