Agenda item

That the Committee recommends to Cabinet the reviewed Winter Maintenance Policy (2019-21) which also contains the procedures for delivering the Council’s winter maintenance and adverse weather service.

The Deputy Leader and Cabinet Member for Streetscene & Countryside introduced Mark Edwards, Area Co-ordinator for the Buckley area who was an expert in winter maintenance.  She advised that 6 duty officers worked on a rota basis monitored weather forecasts 24 hours a day.

The Chief Officer (Streetscene & Transportation) introduced the report on the procedures for delivering the Council’s winter maintenance and adverse weather services which is reviewed every 2 years. He advised that the weather forecast provider had recently changed to Metdesk by Welsh Government.  He added that improved communication with schools had been progressed to ensure they have copies of forecasts in a timely fashion to inform decision making with regard to school closures.

Members spoke highly of the adverse weather service that was being provided across Flintshire.   Councillor Owen Thomas suggested that on occasions there had been issues in rural areas and suggested that farmers  should be empowered to use their own initiative to go out in severe conditions, rather than wait for the go ahead  by the area co-ordinators, as sometimes conditions were not always the same as where they were being monitored and deteriorated rapidly. The Chief Officer (Streetscene & Transportation) suggested that a way forward may be for contractors to ring the co-ordinators before they go out to get agreement.

 The Chairman agreed that the winter maintenance teams were highly regarded and welcomed the opportunity to review the policy based upon lessons learned.

Councillor Dolphin asked if there were any plans for a permanent building instead of the sheeting that was currently being used to cover the 7000 tonnes of rock salt stored at Greenfield Recycling Site. He also asked whether there were plans to reduce the amount stored.

The Chief Officer (Streetscene & Transportation) advised Members that the rock salt was being stored there due to the national shortage experienced in previous years following advice from the Welsh Local Government Association and Welsh Government.  He explained most Councils retain a stock of rock salt which was used and re-stocked to maintain reasonable levels.

Councillor Evans reported that most complaints he received were about schools closing and the domino effect whereby once one school closed others followed. Whilst he agreed Flintshire delivered good service, the main reason for Schools closures appeared to be teachers who lived out of County being unable to reach the schools safely.  The Chief Officer acknowledged Cllr Evans’ concerns and referred to the work being undertaken with schools previously alluded to with regard to improved communication.

The recommendations in the report was moved by Councillor Evans and seconded by Councillor Johnson.

RESOLVED:

That the Committee recommends to Cabinet the reviewed Winter Maintenance Policy (2019-21) which also contains the procedures for delivering the Council’s winter maintenance and adverse weather service.