A report informing the Committee of the outputs delivered by the Winter Service Plan 2021-2022, of the Winter Service Plan review carried out to ensure compliance with the Highway Act 1980 and ‘Well managed Highway Infrastructure: A Code of Practice” and to inform and seek approval for the Winter Service Plan 2022-2023.

The Executive Director of Economic Growth and Neighourhood Services submitted a report informing the Committee of the outputs that had been delivered by the Winter Service Plan 2021-22, of the Winter Service Plan review that had been carried out to ensure compliance with the Highway Act 1980 and ‘Well-Managed Highway Infrastructure: A Code of Practice’ and sought approval for the Winter Service Plan 2022-2023.  A copy of the Winter Service Plan 2022-2023 was attached to the report at Appendix 1 and a Financial Implications Report was attached to the report at Appendix 2.

The report stated that the 2020/2021 winter season had been relatively mild overall although interspersed with colder spells.  However, there had been numerous occasions when the temperature had reached the trigger point for precautionary salting action, this had resulted in 54 primary runs and no secondary runs.  The cold spells were not severe or prolonged enough for activation of the Snow Plan.  There had been no issues with salt supply and delivery which had enabled the contractor to maintain stock levels throughout the winter season and there had been not issues with the contractor replenishing the grit bins as and when had been required.  The winter decision making process to determine when to salt had worked well during the previous winter season and the Vaisala weather stations had provided the correct data for informed decisions to be made.  The joint arrangement/agreement with Wokingham Borough Council, through their consultants, Volker Highways, for providing the decision-making service had worked well and had delivered against the set key performance indicators during the 2021-2022 winter season.  The Winter Service Plan for 2021-2022 had provided a robust service for the duration of the winter period with no disruption to the primary and secondary road network during the season.

A review of the Winter Service Plan 2021-2022 had been carried out and the main points, including updates for the Winter Service Plan 2022-2023 were summarised in the report.  A review of the proposed Active Travel Plan schemes had shown that they were primarily situated on the existing primary/secondary precautionary salting routes and any future Active Travel Plan schemes brought forward would be evaluated to determine whether they should be added to the precautionary salting route.

Resolved –

(1)     That outputs delivered by the Winter Service Plan 2021-2022 be noted;

(2)     That the outcome of the review carried out on the Winter Service Plan to ensure compliance with the Highways Act 1980 and the ‘Well-Managed Highway Infrastructure: A Code of Practice’ be noted;

(3)     That the Winter Service Plan 2022-2023 be approved.