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Response by the Cabinet Member: Thank you Councillor Lewis, for your question regarding the classification of the B4518 corridor and the operation of the Council's winter maintenance arrangements. The Council recognises the importance of the B4518 in connecting communities and providing access to employment, education, healthcare and other essential services. We also understand the concerns expressed by residents regarding winter travel conditions and the importance of maintaining a safe and resilient highway network. Powys County Council operates a Winter Maintenance Policy that prioritises precautionary treatment on routes that carry the highest levels of strategic traffic, provide key connectivity across the county and support the most efficient deployment of limited winter service resources. Given the size of the Powys highway network, it is not possible to provide routine precautionary treatment to every road during frost and ice events. Community Routes form part of the Council's wider winter maintenance arrangements and may be activated during significant, prolonged or severe weather conditions. These routes are intended to improve network resilience and support communities when weather conditions extend beyond those typically addressed by the precautionary network. The classification of routes within the winter maintenance network is informed by a range of factors, including network hierarchy, traffic movements, connectivity, operational considerations and the need to apply a consistent approach across the county. No single factor determines route classification and assessments are undertaken at a network level rather than for individual communities in isolation. With regard to the specific criteria for activating Community Routes, decisions are made by the Council's winter maintenance service based on forecast weather conditions, duration and severity of events, operational capacity and wider network impacts. The purpose is to ensure resources are deployed where they can deliver the greatest overall benefit while maintaining a safe and operational highway network across Powys. In relation to school transport, care services, journeys to work and agricultural access, it is important to note that no road can be guaranteed to remain entirely free of snow and ice during winter conditions, regardless of classification. The Council therefore adopts a risk-based approach to winter maintenance, alongside other measures such as community routes, salt bins, salt heaps, operational monitoring and engagement with service providers and local communities. The Council's winter maintenance arrangements have been developed in accordance with its approved Winter Maintenance Policy and relevant supporting assessments. As with all operational policies, they are kept under review and can be reconsidered should evidence demonstrate that network usage, local circumstances or service requirements have materially changed. Finally, with regard to your query regarding risk assessment, the review adopted a risk and evidence-based approach in accordance with national winter service guidance. Roads were assessed and prioritised using the approved Route Criteria and Categorisation, with the outcome of that assessment determining each route's categorisation within the revised winter service network. The Council remains committed to balancing resident safety, fairness across communities, service resilience and the responsible use of public resources. We will continue to listen to feedback from local members and residents as part of the ongoing review and development of our winter service arrangements.
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