Leicestershire County Council Winter Maintenance

 Statutory Responsibilities & Winter Maintenance Plan  How the service is carried out  Review of previous winters  National context  Clearing footways  Grit Bins & Snow wardens

Winter Maintenance Statutory Responsibilities Highways Act 1980 (as amended)  Section 41 – Duty to maintain the highway  Plus – Duty to ensure that snow and ice do not hinder safe passage along the highway, so far as is reasonably practicable.  Section 150 – Duty to remove snow if it is causing an obstruction

Winter Maintenance The LCC Winter Maintenance Plan  Set criteria for roads to be salted  Prepare a network of routes based on those criteria  Agree the method by which we’ll salt roads and/or clear snow  Set up ice sensors, weather stations and forecasting arrangements to predict bad weather  Make sure we’ve got enough salt, vehicles, fuel and drivers

 Main Distributor roads  Commuter routes (rural roads carrying more than 2,000 vehicles per day)  Major bus routes (urban areas 8 or more service buses an hour, rural areas 2 more service buses per hour)  One route into each village, where possible Winter Maintenance Precautionary Salting Network

Winter Maintenance Precautionary salting network  45% of total LCC network (1,800km out of 4,000km)  Currently treating with salt with molasses additive (dry salt spreading)  5 salt barns in depots around the county  17 salting routes out of these 5 depots  23 gritters in total (1 spare at each salt barn and 1 extra)

Winter Maintenance Decision to salt  Based on most up-to-date local forecasts  Weather stations around the county  Ice-prediction detectors embedded in the highway at critical locations Winter Maintenance Period  1 October to 30 April  Night shift from 1 November to 31 March  Night controllers make call-out decisions

Winter Maintenance Review of recent winters Salt usage (in tonnes) Number of salting ‘runs’ 05/0606/0707/0808/0909/10 Full Season Total /0606/0707/0808/0909/10 Total salt usage12,5007,5207,90016,42516,600

Winter Maintenance Winter 09/10  Worst for over 30 years  Undertook 72 gritter runs  Used 16,600 tonnes of salt  Despite national shortage managed to secure additional salt supplies from Europe  Provided mutual aid to Derbyshire and East Midlands Airport

Winter Maintenance Liaison with other organisations - Mainly through the Local Resilience Forum (LRF)  Leicestershire Police  Leicestershire Fire and Rescue Service  East Midlands Ambulance Service  Leicester City NHS & Leicestershire & Rutland County NHS  University Hospitals of Leicester (UHL)  Health Protection Agency (HPA)  Leicestershire Partnership NHS Trust  Environment Agency  Local Authorities: Blaby DC, Charnwood BC, Harborough DC, Hinckley & Bosworth BC, Melton BC, North West Leicestershire DC, Oadby & Wigston BC, Rutland CC, Leicester City Council

Winter Maintenance District and Borough Councils in Leicestershire  BCs and DCs have street cleaning & parks operatives who are restricted from carrying out normal functions in times of snow and ice  At present, ad-hoc arrangements exist whereby the Districts and Boroughs deploy their workforce to clear town centre / shopping centre areas Parish Councils in Leicestershire  Assist in the provision of grit bins (see later slides)  Arrange snow wardens

Winter Maintenance Major issues  Supply of salt – there are only 2 UK mainland producers  Western Europe was also badly affected last year, hence likelihood of importing salt is much reduced  Inaccurate weather forecasts – particularly poor in 09/10  Ageing gritter fleet – being addressed

Winter Maintenance Clearing Footways  Public concern over the condition of footways in the recent severe winters  The precautionary salting network does not extend to footways that are not adjacent to the main road network  When resources are available, priority is given to main shopping areas, outside hospitals, schools, elderly persons’ homes etc.  Fear of litigation is a barrier to self-help

Winter Maintenance Clearing Footways  There is confusion amongst the public about the steps they can take to help themselves and others in tackling snow and ice  The County Council is preparing advice to issue to private householders, schools and commercial organisations, for example shop keepers, on the clearance of snow and ice from public footpaths.  When advice followed, the chance of litigation is minimal

Winter Maintenance Salt / Grit Bins  Salt bins are provided by the County Council in village and urban areas, provided that:  (a) the route is not on a precautionary salting route;  (b) the location of and need for the bin is first agreed with the County Council;  (c) the cost of any additional salt bin is met, in parished areas by the local Parish/Town council or in non-parished towns by the District or Borough Council.  Parish / District council responsible for replacing the bins in case of damage  County Council will re-fill bins at intervals deemed appropriate by LCC and depending on resources  Guidance on possible locations is available

Winter Maintenance Salt / Grit Bins  Complaints raised by local residents, parish councils and snow wardens, that many salt bins are quickly emptied as some members of the public use the salt to clear their own drives rather than the public highway and footpaths as intended.  Will allow for bins to be locked to ensure the salt is used more efficiently and in appropriate areas in future – subject to a standard padlock being used to enable LCC to refill them  Any arrangements to lock the bins should not unduly inhibit voluntary assistance: ie by the contact details of those authorised to open them noted on the bin.

Winter Maintenance Snow Wardens  Parish Council employees covered by Parish Council Public Liability Insurance may be proposed as Snow Wardens by Parish Councils:  To establish agreed actions with LCC about how local resources will be used  To clear snow from public footways in agreed locally sensitive locations

Winter Maintenance Snow Wardens  The County Council is keen to extend the network of Parish Councils participating in the Snow Warden Scheme to ensure that localised areas of difficulty are dealt with more effectively.  Any Parish Council that can show a need for such an appointment, can put forward a request to join the scheme.  If agreed, the PC will be reimbursed by the County Council for time spent on previously agreed tasks.

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