The Leader of the Council invited the Director of Technical Services, as a matter of urgent business, to give a report to the Cabinet on the recent bad winter weather and its impact on services.

The Director reported that the recent spell of extreme weather had seen temperatures drop as low as -15C on Wirral. Although salt stocks had run low, at no time did Wirral run out of salt and stocks had now been replenished with only minor delays in doing so. Aid had been given to Liverpool City Council and this had now been repaid in full. The gritting season normally ran to the end of March and the Government had now imposed a 25% reduction on consumption of salt across all local authorities. He outlined the heavy demands placed on service continuity especially in the week following the heavy snow falls on 5 January. Staff across a range of Council services had coped extremely well and 100 staff had been involved in manually removing snow and ice from priority sites around shopping centres, schools and social services establishments.

The Director further reported that Biffa had 28 crews, 6 more than normal, working a 7 day week to clear the backlog of uncollected bins and he anticipated that the service would be back to normal by Monday 18 January. Inspection of pot holes caused by the extreme freezing temperatures was being carried out and the worst of these would be filled in during the coming week.

With regard to schools he reported on the measures put in place to get all school children home following the cancellation of some school buses on 5 January. All primary and secondary schools had reopened on 11 January, all Special schools on 12 January.

The Director also gave details of continuity of services within the social care sector and reported that transport staff had worked late into the night on Tuesday 5 January. All hot meals had continued to be provided by the Meals on Wheels.

The Director remarked upon the good connectivity between departments across the Council and also the sense of community spirit. He suggested that a formal review of winter maintenance arrangements could build on this.

The Cabinet Member for Streetscene and Transport Services expressed her personal thanks to all staff involved particularly those in the Technical Services Department and remarked upon the improved cross departmental working and communications.

The Leader thanked the Director for his report and remarked upon communities’ self help and suggested that grit bins could be purchased if so desired through the “You Decide” funding available to communities via the Area Forums. He also suggested that a review should include possibly increasing the Council’s salt storage capacity to allow greater assistance to be given to Hospitals and schools.

On a motion by the Leader, duly seconded, it was –

Resolved – That,

(1)  Cabinet records its thanks and appreciation to all staff who overcame the recent extreme weather conditions to continue delivering services to the people of Wirral;

(2) Cabinet specifically recognises the hard work and dedication of front line staff and partners directly engaged in dealing with the consequences of the extreme weather;

(3) Cabinet recognises the positive aspects of undertaking a formal review of winter maintenance arrangements across the Council and recommends the Sustainable Communities Overview and Scrutiny Committee undertake this work.