Bath & North East Somerset Council has been working around the clock alongside their contractor Atkins to ensure the 260 miles of priority routes are gritted by their nine-strong fleet of gritting vehicles to keep the road network flowing as smoothly as possible during the adverse weather.
Despite freezing temperatures, the prioritised routes on the BANES road network have been kept open. As a result, there have been no school closures due to access issues, the majority of waste collections have taken place, and adult social care providers have been able to make home visits as normal, amongst other services that have continued.
Staff from other Council services, like our Neighbourhood Teams, have been on stand-by to be re-deployed to deal with icy conditions and use multi-purpose equipment to spread salt.
Salt stocks situation
The Council has taken action to improve the resilience to extended periods of adverse weather. Braysdown Depot can now hold 1,000 tonnes of salt, which is addition to the 1,400 tonnes the Councilcan store at Clutton Depot and the emergency reserve stock of 500 tonnes at Avonmouth. The use of these facilities has contributed towards keeping routes open. However, salt stocks must continue to be prioritised and are not immune from the impact of an uncertain nationwide salt supply situation and adverse weather occurring earlier than expected this year.
The Council maintains 388 grit bins at present – these were all refilled during the summer. Since last winter, somewhere in the region of 400 requests for additional bins have been made and these are currently being assessed. Refilling bins during periods of adverse or severe weather/ snowfall is labour intensive and the salt stored in these is often spread too heavily, used on private drives, or sometimes stolen.
The Council’s priority must be to ensure that the 38% of the road network they plan to treat is gritted – this is well head of the national average of 30%. For BANES to complete this work, salt stocks and manpower must be prioritised. In response to feedback from local people, they have invested in salt bagging equipment which will enable small supplies of salt to be distributed more effectively and efficiently to the communities of greatest need during severe weather conditions when filling bins is not possible.
Keeping people updated
Local people have been kept updated on the impact of Council services, including the effect on the roads, via updates on the website and through the press.
The Council has drafted a leaflet aimed at the public giving guidance on clearing snow and providing self-help. This is due to be published shortly and will be made available to the public at Council Connect Offices, parish and town councils, and via the Council’s website.
The Winter Highways Review has been considered by parish councils and the Safer and Stronger Overview and Scrutiny Panel. This has placed BANES in a better position to cope with the type of weather experienced in February 2009 and January 2010, for example by increasing the amount of road network covered by gritting arrangements.
Preventing damage to the roads
Highways improvement crews are currently in the final stages of completing the extensive 2010/11 £8.5 million investment into improving road surfaces which will help to prevent costly potholes caused by severe weather. These improvements include resurfacing or surface dressing 10% of the entire road network.
Contacting the Council
The quickest and most direct way of bringing to their attention a problem on the roads, or any other service, is by contacting the Council via the following methods.
Web: www.bathnes.gov.uk/reportit
Email: councilconnect@bathnes.gov.uk
Phone: 01225 39 40 41
Text SMS: 0779 7806545
