Agenda item

(Report by Director of Kent Highway Services)

(1)       Further to Minute 12 of 19 September 2006, the report gave information relating to the winter of 2006/07 and sought approval of the Winter Service Policy and Plan for 2007/08.  The winter service policy required precautionary salting on ‘A’ and ‘B’ and other busy roads (as defined in the policy statement paragraph 2.1.2) where frost/ice was likely to form on road surfaces.  An analysis of winter weather and the action taken by KHS for 2006/07 was contained in Annex A; a table of forecast accuracy and other performance indicators were given in Annex B; and a statistical comparison of winter activities for the 2006/07 winter with the preceding four years was given in Annex C of the report. 

(2)       On all occasions, during the winter of 2006/07, when frost was forecast and frost occurred, precautionary salting had taken place in advance of freezing temperatures.  There were instances during the winter service period where a frost was not predicted in the main forecasts issued at 14:00hrs, but subsequent updates warned that frost was likely.  This activated precautionary salting instructions where necessary.  Overall the winter was exceptionally mild but also with some very brief snow interludes.

(3)       The KHS winter service budget for 2006/07 was £2,425,000 and the outturn was £2,263,000.  Some funding provision was allocated for gully and drain clearance due to higher than average rain fall.  The snow emergency cost an additional £29,000 and this had been funded from the corporate emergency fund.  The budget for 2007/08 had been set at £2,225,000.

(4)       The winter service contractor for the winter of 2006/07 was Ringway Infrastructure Services for the whole county.  Ringway Infrastructure Services would be the service provider for the coming winter within the alliance partnership agreement formed by Kent Highway Services.  The Meteorological Office supplied forecast services for the winter of 2006/07 under a five-year agreement, which lasted until 2008.  The Board agreed the arrangement in 2003.  The ice prediction service was provided by Vaisala Ltd and performed well over the season.  It was proposed to continue the relationship with Vaisala Ltd. for the coming winter.

(5) The Winter Service Policy 2007/08 was given in Appendix D of the report.  There were no significant changes to the policy for the forthcoming winter.  Copies of the Winter Service Plan for 2007/08 had been placed in the Members’ Room.

(6)       It was reported to Members last year that pre-wetted salt was to be introduced during the winter of 2007/08.  This was on schedule to occur at the operational depot at Haysden but was now unlikely to happen at the other depots until the winter of 2008/09.  This was due to delays with the refurbishment and new depot build programme.

(7)       A review of the primary salting routes was carried out in the summer or 2006.  It was felt that savings and efficiencies could be made by reviewing the number and size of salting vehicles used against the network to be salted.  The review was carried out by KHS staff and was an interim measure pending winter service operations moving to the new depot locations next year.  As a result of the exercise the number of routes was reduced from 63 to 55 without any reduction in the network salted.  The average length of route had increased from 35km to 45km but all routes were still able to be completed within the times laid down in policy.

(8)       The Board supported the proposals for recommendation to the Cabinet Member for Environment, Highways and Waste that:-

(a)       the Winter Service Policy and Plan for 2007/08 be approved; and

(b)       the continuation of the arrangement with Vaisala Ltd. for the provision of ice prediction computer services be agreed