1 Winter Service Report to the Overview & Scrutiny Committee, Wednesday 9 th March By Martin Surridge Assistant Engineer Highway Services

2 The snow arrived earlier Started as severe – not a gradual build-up. The worst was over a shorter period. It was accompanied with extremely cold periods – hitting -12oC. The coldest winter since 1971 The challenge

3 How much salt? Salt Deliveries and use, for this year (so far) ;- 5,211 t of salt delivered. 3,361 t of salt used. 1,850 t of salt in store. How does this compare to previous years …

4 Keeping roads safe Along with keeping the main routes running we also prioritised requests and provided support to other frontline services, including; Waste Management  84% success rate in collections Cemeteries; Schools; Health Centres; Park & Ride Services

5 Support with footways We reacted to over 2,000 requests from local citizens and colleagues over the snow period for;- Clearance and treatment, Salt deliveries and bagged salt. We utilised frontline resources from across Highways and City Services - enabling us to pool over 200 colleagues successfully We also aided Schools, Care Homes, and Health Centres with the supply of bagged salt for emergency use.

6 Improved Website Revamped to include new contact details, along with information on grit bins locations and gritting routes. Weather Forecast Bulletin Providing comprehensive daily information to other service areas and external parties. Assistance for Schools At the start of the season bagged salt was offered to all schools (50% cheaper than the market rate). Winter Leaflet Published in the Arrow. Aimed at providing help and practical advice to local citizens and partners. Our changing priorities

7 Our investment in extra grit bins Grit bins are issued across neighbourhoods to help citizens on footpaths and roads, these are prioritised based on risk and we have increased issue from 140 to 180 this year. We plan to include a means of ward based prioritisation for grit bins and this will be incorporated into the Risk Matrix. The location of Grit Bins can be found on the website.

8 Publishing our gritting routes We routinely grit the principle road network (strategic, arterial routes, main roads and main bus routes) in advance of sub zero temperatures and re-treat as necessary. Gritting routes are now available through the main website

9 Extra Grit – a coordinated approach Loose material was provided in small quantities after severe weather and supplied to high risk areas. Small bags 20/25Kg bags were left with schools, health centres and homes. Larger bags were considered but not taken forward due to the expense and difficulties with longer term storage. Emergency assistance was provided during the bad weather period, this work was successfully coordinated with colleagues in City Services.

10 All city schools are now included in our decision s which includes daily forecast information. They are supplied with information on our gritting routes and have direct contact with Highway Services. At the start of the season bagged salt was offered to all schools. In addition we provided details of active salt suppliers. This season we have worked closely with the risk manager in education to identify schools that would stay open and prioritised at least 25 school sites on this basis. Assistance to schools

11 Our winter leaflet Includes; Information on our preparations; Details on our service; Top Tips for coping with snow and ice and; How to contact us

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13 Contacting us during extreme weather The telephone number was advertised in the Winter Service leaflet and accessible to local citizens and businesses through the improved website; We put forward the idea of placing a member of our staff in the call centre to coordinate enquiries. All requests were subsequently logged through the customer contact centre and prioritised. Telephone: (0115)

14 Engaging with citizens at the local levels to publicise and inform local plans; Increased focus of the Winter Service website. ‘Roads in Winter’ leaflet – jointly produced with Nottinghamshire County Council. November Arrow – ‘We’re ready for the winter…are you?” article Community Engagement

15 Things to think about Additional routes Service demand Storage Materials Methods Equipment Future challenges

16 This year in Summary Overall it has been an extremely challenging winter. We were able to successfully manage the strategic network throughout the extreme weather period. There has been a focus on Neighbourhood support – and we have been able to raise the awareness of our service through a series of successful initiatives. There has also been improved cross service working with colleagues and stakeholders.

17 Positive feedback this season “I must say that the City Council have done a great job so far with gritting etc. The pavements seem to be much better than last year” Trauma Surgery “Your s warn me whether I need to try and leave earlier in the morning and what possibly to expect…You are doing a great job.” Highwood Junior School “Thank you for the excellent help and support given this week it is much appreciated by the Families concerned.“ Cemeteries & Crematorium Service “Thank you for all your hard work - it has been appreciated! The main roads have been great!” Beckhampton Learning Centre “I just want to thank you for all your help working with earlier this month to get the road cleared in advance of the school group visits and the costume collection move. You really saved the day” Newstead Abbey “Just a quick, big, big thank you for gritting the pavements on Rise Park Road – never been known before and has made our journey up the steep hill so much easier.” Stanstead Primary School “Just a quick thank you for the weather reports! Much appreciated. Happy gritting!” Westbury School “Please extend my thanks to your team. The new grit box at the entrance to school has been really helpful this year!” Hogarth Primary & Nursery School