Witnesses:
Colin Kemp, Cabinet Member for
Highways
Jason Russell, Deputy Director
for Environment and Infrastructure
Amanda Richards, Networks and
Asset Management Group Manager
Kristian Fields, Winter Operation
Manager, Kier
Declarations of interest:
None
Key
points raised in the discussion:
- The Chairman advised
the committee that the report proposed policy changes and process
changes that will deliver Winter Service cost savings in 2017/18
and 2018/19. The report also identifies a number of one off
compensating savings to help achieve savings in 2017/18. The Select
Committee are asked to consider the proposals before they are taken
to Cabinet.
- Members were informed
of an update to this report by email on 28 June. This was in
reference to the table on page 4 of the agenda regarding
(Policy Change 1: Reducing season length to 26
weeks) which had two errors. This was in relation to
‘weeks on standby’ for both Knowsley and Bristol City Council. In the original
report the ‘weeks on standby’ for both these
authorities was 26 weeks. This has now been corrected to 21 weeks
on standby.
- It was noted in the
previous Council term, a Winter Maintenance Task Group was set up
as part of the old Scrutiny Board. The task group was responsible
for updating the Board on winter performance and scrutinising the
winter policy for the Council.
- It was explained
three members made up the membership of the task group. Of these,
only one member remains on the newly formed Environment &
Infrastructure Select Committee, Cllr Stephen Cooksey.
- Members noted that
prior to this meeting, officers discussed report recommendations
with Stephen Cooksey and feedback was noted.
- It was explained a
similar report on winter cost savings came to the previous Scrutiny
Board in 2016 but the £340k savings pressure from the Winter
Service budget could not be achieved and compensating savings from
elsewhere in the budget had to be found.
- The Committee were
advised when considering officer recommendations in the report,
members needed to take account of the current financial situation
facing the council. £340K savings need to be found from the
Winter Service budget.
-
Officers explained that the current report was
reviewing different solutions which reduce the impacts on levels of
service compared to the previous report. Officers gave a summary of
the proposed policy and process changes informing members that the
proposed changes would enable the service to meet the £340K
savings required with the potential to create additional
savings.
-
The Chairman queried why the service did not review
the option to remove a mini gritter at
an earlier stage seeing as one of the mini gritter’s had not been used for the last 6
years. The Kier representative informed members that both mini
gritters had been utilised previously
however one mini gritter could meet the
demand for the whole County and the other could be released under
the contract.
-
Members queried the set up costs of the additional
depots at Beare Green and Chertsey. The
Cabinet Member for Highways explained that these depots belonged to
the Council and would be refurbished to save costs. It was
explained that these sites were currently owned by the Council and
work was underway to improve these assets rather than acquiring new
assets. Officers advised the Committee that a report on these two
depots came previously to scrutiny and was approved by Cabinet last
year.
-
Officers clarified that policy amendment 1 proposing
to not survey or fill any non-members grit bins intended to stop
the survey in 2017/18 only but not discontinue the filling or
repairing of grit bins where highways are made aware filling is
required, informing members that eleven orders had been currently
placed to do so.
-
Members questioned whether farmers received
guidelines on maintaining their ploughs and asked officers to
consider this going forward. It was agreed by officers that
forwarding guidelines to farmers would be considered going
forward.
-
The Cabinet Member for Highways assured the
Committee that grit bins would remain and the policy amendment was
for one year only. Members noted grit bins would possibly be
removed in certain places, for example where funding for member
funded grit bins has expired and the location does not achieve
sufficient points against the agreed criteria for a grit bin to be
in that location.
-
Following the discussion on grit bins the Deputy
Director for Environment and Infrastructure expressed the view that
policy amendment 1 was sensible and pragmatic, assuring the
Committee that the proposed saving would allow the Council to
respond and maintain services.
-
Members suggested a revision to the wording of
policy amendment 1 to ensure there would be no further confusion on
what was proposed, which was to not survey grit bins for 2017/18
only but to continue the filling of grit bins where highways are
informed of low salt levels by residents or members.
-
In relation to saving
recommendation 3 officers were asked to clarify which routes would
be removed and whether there was a fair system in place to
determine this. The Cabinet Member for Highways explained that a
system was in place and that routes would be assessed against a set
criteria which is detailed within the approved Highways Cold Weather Plan.
-
It was noted that the in house solution to replace
the Kaarbontech grit bin management
software was capable of being delivered by local highways officers
despite members raising concern with the changeover of managing the
grit bin inventory information and survey.
-
It was explained that there was no dedicated budget
for grit bins, if grit bins met the set criteria it would be
funded, alternatively if the grit bin did not meet the criteria it
would be removed, placing the unused funds in reserve.
-
Members raised the concern with the removal of grit
bins, expressing the view that grit was essential for utilising in
other areas other than the road, for example, gritting
pavements.
-
There was a discussion around Policy Amendment 1 and
how it would be re-worded. Members suggested that it should be
amended to encourage the public to contact the Council to report
low levels of salt in grit bins on inspection. Officers advised the
Committee that this information was available online for members of
the public.
-
The Cabinet Member for Highways clarified that the
treatment time began from the point the salting vehicles left the
depot and returned within the 3 hour treatment window.
-
There was a discussion around Policy Change 5 and
members sought more clarification around the salting treatment, how
this would be determined and what the implications would be going
forward. Officers advised that the choice of salting treatment
would be reviewed appropriately in line with best practice and
explained how Thawrox+ was referenced
as an example to show the benefits of moving to an
alternative.
-
It was noted that the service was not proposing to
change the gritting criteria however were reviewing whether current
routes on the network met the set criteria. Members requested
officers provide local committees with the criteria to allow them
to assess how routes will be re-evaluated.
-
Members raised the importance of local committee
involvement when reassessing lengths of network that did not meet
criteria. Members agreed that saving recommendation 3 should be
amended to read ‘reassess lengths of network against the
criteria in consultation with local committees’. The Cabinet
Member for highways agreed with this amendment.
-
Members of the committee were given the opportunity
to vote for each of the individual proposals put forward. Members
voted in the majority to support the recommendations in the
report.
Recommendations:
The Environment &
Infrastructure Select Committee endorse the report recommendations,
subject to the following amendments to Policy Amendment 1 and
Saving Recommendation 3,
- Policy Amendment 1 to
be amended to read: ‘Do not survey any non- member funded
grit bins’,
- Saving Recommendation
3 to be amended to read: ‘Reassess lengths of network against
the criteria in consultation with Local
Committees’.
Actions:
For the Cabinet Member for
Highways to provide the E&I Select Committee with more details
around the salt barn replacement.