Agenda item

Report attached.

The Committee:

Declarations of Interest: None

Officers attending: John Lawlor, Highways Area Team Manager

Petitions, Public Questions, Statements: None

The Highways Area Team Manager presented the report and asked members to let their Local Committee Chairman know of any issues by the end of July 2014.

He informed the committee that there had been a huge amount of input from parishes and the district this year in snow conditions. He continued that they should continue to be included in early discussions.

Member Discussion – key points:

·         Members requested to be informed of dates when the grit bins would be filled.

·         Members agreed that a large amount of work has gone into the gritting routes and that the service has been working very well, however some members raised concerns that damaged grit bins coming to the end of their lives would be removed. It was felt that if a bin was there in the first instance it was because it was required and therefore should not be removed and more minor roads leading to main roads needed to also be considered.

·         The Highways Area Team Manager stated that a report went to the Transport Select Committee and Cabinet regarding the Grit Bin scoring assessment. Priority 1 and 2 (P1 and P2) routes should not require the grit bins as they are regularly salted and only the bins at the end of their life (scoring under 100 points) would be removed.

·         Members asked what the trigger was for sending the gritting lorries to grit the P1 and P2 routes as the weather forecast trigger previously had been from the Merrow office looking at the Met Office forecast. However last year, on the other side of the A22 in Tandridge the weather was very different and more similar to the Kent weather than the rest of Surrey.
Members requested that the Godstone depot should have a facility whereby they can report back to the Merrow depot. It was also agreed however that sometimes these freak incidents in weather can occur very suddenly within the Tandridge District.

·         Members requested that John Lawlor send them the updated priority routes for each division. The Highways Area Team Manager confirmed that the Winter Service Plan packs would be out in September however he would ensure that they have received updated maps.

·         It was noted that 3-4 years ago meetings with parishes were held to talk through winter maintenance and highways issues and that perhaps it would be a good idea to do this once more.

·         Members requested that in addition an audit for each parish (equipment and processes) by division be completed as members often are not aware of what has been given and therefore an overview would be helpful.

·         John Lawlor confirmed that last year they worked with parishes and Tandridge District Council and also provided hand salting machines.

·         Members discussed whether they needed to start looking at salting pavements also.

·         Members asked the Highways Area Team Manager regarding replacing grit bins that were due to be removed and what the most cost effective method would be (via Surrey Highways or a private local contractor).
The Highways Area Team Manager confirmed that members should still purchase grit bins via the Surrey County Council (SCC) contract as the cost is very similar to a private contractor, however it also then ensures that the liability remains with SCC.

·         Mrs Sally Marks requested to see the difference in costs which the Highways Area Team Manager agreed to look into (the cost and liability implications) and report back to members.
He continued that although parishes have provided many grit bins and had bought them via a private provider, many of them have public liability to cover them.

·         It was agreed that these would need to be sorted out individually in each division.

The Committee: