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The decisions as the council's minutes record them. A plain-language summary follows once it has been written.
AGREED – (i) That the report of the Behaviour Change – Decarbonisation Task and Finish Group be received at the Meeting in December 2023. (ii) That, subject to the aforementioned amendment, the Work Programme attached at Appendix 1 be agreed.
AGREED - (i) That striking workers are offered the full training package and are put on the rota for winter maintenance as necessary in order to ensure the winter maintenance policy can be delivered. (ii) That the 10 day period for the repair of potholes be adhered to. (iii) That subject to finance, the provision of hot boxes be increased.
AGREED – That the Minutes of the Meeting held on 20 September 2023 be signed as a correct record.
Decision as recorded
AGREED – (i) That the report of the Behaviour Change – Decarbonisation Task and Finish Group be received at the Meeting in December 2023. (ii) That, subject to the aforementioned amendment, the Work Programme attached at Appendix 1 be agreed.
The Chief Officer Governance and Customer submitted a report (COGC/107/23s) asking Members to consider the Committee’s Work Programme. The Scrutiny Facilitator introduced the report and drew Members’ attention to paragraph 4.1 which highlighted the changes made to the Work Programme in September. He advised that the Decarbonisation Behaviour Change Task and Finish met earlier on today, and it was their intention to bring their final report to this Committee in December. AGREED – (i) That the report of the Behaviour Change – Decarbonisation Task and Finish Group be received at the Meeting in December 2023. (ii) That, subject to the aforementioned amendment, the Work Programme attached at Appendix 1 be agreed.
Decision as recorded
AGREED - (i) That striking workers are offered the full training package and are put on the rota for winter maintenance as necessary in order to ensure the winter maintenance policy can be delivered. (ii) That the 10 day period for the repair of potholes be adhered to. (iii) That subject to finance, the provision of hot boxes be increased.
The Lead Member for Environment submitted a report (COET/23/23S) to present the Highway Safety Inspection Policy update and a summary of the Environment and Technical Department’s Streetscene Winter Service operations and arrangements, the policies of which were approved by Executive Board on the 19 September 2023. The Lead Member presented the report and highlighted the main points contained within it. A debate ensued and the Lead Member and Officer responded to questions accordingly. The following points were raised: · Welcome news that additional budget investment in 2020/21 had resulted in significant improvements in performance, and a reduction in the number of complaints received. · Confirmation that a system had been developed to use less salt which not only saved money, but also had a positive environmental impact. · Improvements to the salt store at Abbey Road resulted in an increased capacity of salt (10,000 tonnes) stored on site. This meant that during particularly cold periods, the service could operate more efficiently without disruption. · Recognition that in terms of winter maintenance, there were national and regional reviews of winter policies taking place, and Wrexham were part of that process. · Officers advised that Wrexham had introduced standardised categories for repairs which were in line with the rest of Wales. This had resulted in improved response times and meant that resources were used in a better way to identify issues in a more proactive way which had seen a reduction in the number of reports being submitted. · Clarification sought with regards to the impact of recent union strikes on the service. Officers confirmed that issues relating to a critical service, or where there were safety concerns, were allowed to operate as usual and that the safety of road users was always prioritised. It was noted that some drivers were undergoing the final stages of training which would enable them to drive all vehicles which meant there could be more flexibility with operatives. · Reassurances sought that staff on strike would still receive the full training package and that they would be included on the rota for winter maintenance in order to ensure the winter maintenance policy could continue to be delivered. The Lead Member advised that all staff were appropriately trained for their role, and the Council were able to meet the statutory requirements in keeping the highways safe. No operatives would be deployed unless they were adequately trained. · Confirmation that the system used by Officers tracked all highway repairs and maintenance issues. · Clarification sought in relation to category 1L faults, and whether the ten days started with the date it was reported, or the date it was inspected. Whilst Officers confirmed that the ten days began from the date of inspection, Members stressed the importance of aiming to adhere to repairing potholes within ten days from the date it was reported. · Confirmation that Inspectors worked in pairs when carrying out inspections. · Suggestion by some Members that additional salt bins were required in their area. The Lead Member asked that he be contacted outside of the Meeting and he would request Officers to look into the matter. · Confirmation that an interactive map was available on the Council’s website which showed the gritting routes across the County Borough. In addition, there was also a winter maintenance mailing list where gritting activities and information of a similar nature were emailed out. The same information was also shared on the various social media outlets. · It was envisaged that the salt bins would all be replenished. To assist with this, the system in place mapped all the bins and monitored their salt levels which meant they could be replenished at the appropriate time. · Confirmation that the Council received full costs from Welsh Government for gritting the trunk road on their behalf. · Concerns regarding the lack of white lines on the roads in some areas of the County Borough. The Lead Member advised that there was only one company across the whole of the North West of England who had the responsibility and facility to provide white line markings on the highway, and the lack of alternative providers was becoming a significant issue. Officers had been tasked with trying to identify whether this was something that could be delivered in-house, or in partnership with neighbouring Authorities, but this would be expensive in terms of the amount of capital investment, labour and energy required. AGREED - (i) That striking workers are offered the full training package and are put on the rota for winter maintenance as necessary in order to ensure the winter maintenance policy can be delivered. (ii) That the 10 day period for the repair of potholes be adhered to. (iii) That subject to finance, the provision of hot boxes be increased.
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