Agenda and minutes

There were no substitutions at the meeting.

There were no declarations of disclosable pecuniary interests and personal or personal and prejudicial interests.

No whip was declared.

No public speaking requests had been received.

The Chairman welcomed the council’s Head of Environment (Chris Ramsbottom), the council’s Highways Operations Manager (Mick Johnson) and the council's Winter Service and Programmed Works Officer (Gareth Denovan) to the meeting.  The Chairman explained that the officers had been invited to the meeting to discuss with the Panel how the council ensured its highways infrastructure was accessible during bad weather and the winter season.

The Panel received a detailed presentation from the witnesses, which covered the following:

·        Legislation

·        Current Winter Service Policy

·        Salting routes

·        Critical assets

·        Snow routes

·        Snow wardens

·        Salt bins

·        Decision making structure/hierarchy

·        Number of treatments per season

·        Communications

·        Issues affecting treatment of the highways network

·        Future of winter service

Following the conclusion of the presentation, the Chairman facilitated a discussion between the Panel and Head of Environment, Highways Operations Manager and Winter Service and Programmed Works Officer.

The meeting not being quorate agreed to Recommend - (a) That the council's Head of Environment, Highways Operations Manager and Winter Service and Programmed Works Officer be thanked for their attendance, presentation and for answering members’ questions, and (b) that council officers be thanked for ensuring its highways infrastructure was accessible during bad weather and the winter season.

Further to Minute 136, the Director: Governance and Communities informed the meeting that a date to consider Councillor Yeadon’s added item titled ‘effectiveness of partner agencies to reduce the ever-increasing number of  unlicensed Houses of Multiple Occupancy (HMOs), ensuring that children in such HMOs were safe’ had yet to be confirmed.

There was no urgent business for consideration at the meeting.