Agenda item

To update the Committee on the management of salt bins as part of the Winter Maintenance Service.

To accept the report, noting the observations made during the meeting.

The report was presented by the Cabinet Member for Highways and Municipal and Gwynedd Consultancy and the Head of Highways and Municipal Services. They briefly drew attention to the following main points:

-      The Cabinet Member explained that the Council had contacted town and community councils in the past to inform them that salt bins would no longer be filled by the Council, and that it would be their responsibility to finance them. Unfortunately, town and community councils were unable to cope with the costs causing the Council to receive a number of calls regarding dangerous roads. Because of this, the Highways and Municipal Department had revisited the situation.

-      It was declared that around 600 salt bins were located across the County and that the Service was in the process of refiling them. The department would monitor them regularly over the winter in order to fill them when needed.

-      It was explained that the locations of the salt bins as well as the roads that were being gritted by the Council would appear on Map Gwynedd for residents and Members to see.

-      The Head of the Highways and Municipal Department noted that work was being done to number the salt bins. The unique number of the salt bins would make it easier for members and town and community councils to report, helping the workers to solve any problem sooner.

Members were given an opportunity to ask questions and offer observations. During the discussion, the following matters were raised:

The department was praised for accepting that problems had arisen in the past regarding salt bins, and the idea of numbering the bins and noting their location on Map Gwynedd was praised.

It was asked where the funding to reintroduce this service came from.

-      In response to the query, the Head of Department noted that the funding had accumulated since town and community councils had taken over the service. The cost of reintroducing the service was relatively similar and therefore there was no need to look for funding from anywhere else.

It was asked if the location of the salt bins was already on Map Gwynedd and if the public had access to this facility.

-      In response to the query, the Head of Department confirmed that the salt bins were not visible on Map Gwynedd at the moment but the process of adding them had started. Once this process had been completed, Gwynedd residents could see them through the Council's website. The members of the Council would be informed following the completion of the work to enable them to share the information with the residents of their ward.

Concern was expressed that the Winter Maintenance Service was starting from 01.10.2022 onwards as it did not give enough time to look at the condition of the salt bins and replace them if necessary.

-      In response to this statement, the Head stated that the department was working closely with the Area Engineer and was confident that the salt bins would be in good condition by the time they were needed. It was confirmed that although the service had started from 01.10.2022, that the gritting service did not normally start until the second week in November.

It was pointed out that it appeared from the report that there were more salt bins in the Arfon area compared to other areas of the County and it was asked if there was a reason for this and the process involved in determining the allocation of bins in areas.

-      In response to the query, the Head of Department explained that there was no particular reason why there were more salt bins in Arfon. He noted that they were distributed as needed and that continuous assessment was carried out.

DECISION

To accept the report, noting the observations made during the meeting.