BOROUGH OF POOLE
TRANSPORTATION ADVISORY GROUP – 08 NOVEMBER 2007
REPORT OF HEAD OF TRANSPORTATION SERVICES
WINTER MAINTENANCE
1. Purpose of Report and Policy Context
To review the Winter Service Policy for 2007/08.
2. Recommendations
It is recommended that:
2.1 the Winter Service Policy proposed by this report be approved.
2.2 Approval of future years’ policy be delegated to Head of Transportation Services in consultation with the Portfolio Holder where the is no significant change from the current policy
3. Background
3.1 Winter Service within Poole is part of the highway maintenance function and in line with the Code of Good Practice (Well Maintained Highways) is reviewed annually. It covers the considerations taken into account and the actions taken to address the adverse effects of winter weather on the highway network.
3.2 The objectives are, as far as is reasonably practicable, to maintain the safety of users, the availability of the network and the integrity of the highway surface from the adverse affects of ice or snow.
3.3 Winter maintenance operations last year were carried out in line with the policy approved at 30 November 2006 TAG.
4 Legal Background
4.1 Section 111 of the Railways and Transport Safety Act 2003 adds the following after Section 41(1) of the Highways Act 1980: (1A) In particular, a highway authority are under a duty to ensure, so far as is reasonably practicable, that safe passage along a highway is not endangered by snow or ice”.
4.2 The implications mean Authorities are potentially liable if they do not keep the whole highway network free from ice or snow. The word “highway” includes all carriageways, footways, cycleways and public rights of way. Such global coverage is clearly an unrealistic expectation.
4.3 The expectation of “reasonably practicable” has not yet been tested in court and highway authorities continue to make reasonable judgements based on knowledge of their network and feedback from stakeholders and users.
5 Level of Service 2007/08
5.1 Severe winter weather conditions are relatively rare in the Poole area and this needs to be borne in mind when determining the level of service.
5.2 Last year’s report to this Group on 30 November 2006, explained the risk assessment process adopted in producing the subsequently approved recommendation for the extent of road network to be pre-salted.
5.3 Last winter was particularly mild with only 9 pre-salting operations undertaken (the average for the last five years is 23 p.a.). There has been no operational or stakeholder feedback to suggest that the level of coverage for carriageways was inappropriate last winter.
5.4 The original risk assessments have also been reviewed and remain valid. The same level of carriageway pre-salting as last year is recommended as appropriate for 2007/08. Cross boundary agreements with Dorset and Bournemouth have been confirmed for this winter. The map and list of roads to be covered under each priority is shown in Appendix A.
5.5 Snow clearance routes remain unaltered and concentrate on the strategic network with priorities addressed as conditions and resources allow. During periods of significant and extended snow cover (i.e. likely to be more than 1 day), resources will also be directed to salting/gritting footways on major pedestrian routes.
5.6 Salt bins are currently provided for use by the public at 36 locations around the Borough where particular problems may arise (e.g. a slope not on a pre-salting route or where particular problems have been previously identified).
5.7 The above sets out the basic principles for the Winter Service Policy. The full operational details are covered in the Winter Service Operational Plan available from the Borough’s website.
5.8 It should be noted that footways, cycleways and rights of way are not currently pre-salted. This would require an additional and different type of operation to that of lorry mounted pre-salting, and it is considered that on balance, the cost of extending pre-salting to these areas is not currently justified.
5.9 For information, Bournemouth Borough Council currently has problems with facilities for salt storage and winter service vehicles and this aspect of their winter service operation will share Poole’s Hatch Pond facilities this winter. This opportunity to assist Bournemouth is welcomed and will contribute to even closer working relationships between the two authorities with no financial detriment to Poole.
Julian McLaughlin
Head of Transportation Services
APPENDIX A - Map and List of Roads Of Proposed Priority 1 & 2 Pre-salting Routes
Background Papers: TAG Report 30 November 2006
Name and Telephone Number of Officer Contact
John Sayers (01202) 262206
TAG081107T3K
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APPENDIX A
PRIORITY 1 PRE-SALTING ROUTES
/Adastral Road
Albert Road
Alder Road
Archway Road
Arrowsmith Road ( Gravel Hill to tip entrance)
Ashley Rd
Banks Road
Bay Hog Lane
Beechbank Avenue
Birds Hill Road
Blandford Road
Bournemouth Road
Branksome Wood Road
Bridge Approach
Broadstone Way
Cabot Lane (Waterloo Road to Broadstone Way))
Canford Cliffs Road (Lilliput Road to Haven Road)
Canford Heath Road
Canford Magna
Canford Way
Churchfield Road (Ambulance Station to Parkstone Road)
Churchill Road
Clarendon Road
Commercial Road
Constitution Hill Rd
County Gates Gyratory
Cranbrook Road (Ashley Road to Upper Road)
Creekmoor Lane
Culliford Cresent
Dale Valley Road
Darby's Lane ( Dorchester Road to Wimborne Road/New Inn)
Dorchester Road (Oakdale Road to Darbys Lane)
Dorset Way
Dunyeats Road
Edgarton Road
Elizabeth Road (Longfleet Road to Parkstone Road)
Fern Barrow (Wallisdown Road to University - dual carriageway)
Fernside Road
Ferry Way (to Sandbanks Ferry)
Gravel Hill
Hatch Pond Road (Stinsford Road to Waterloo Road)
Haven Road
Herbert Avenue
High Street North
Higher Blandford Road
Higher Merley Lane
Holes Bay Road
King John Ave
Kingland Road (George Roundabout to Seldown Bridge)
Kingsbridge Road
Knights Road (High Howe Lane to King John Avenue)
Leicester Road
Lilliput Road
Lindsay Road
Link from Wimborne Bypass to Gravel Hill
Livingstone Road (Uppleby Road to Cranbrook Road)
Longfleet Road
Longmeadow Lane
Lower Blandford Road
Magna Road
Mannings Heath Road
Merley Park Road
Mt Pleasant Road
New & part of Old Orchard (Lagland Street to West Street)
New Harbour Road South (part)
New Quay Road
North Road
Northmead Drive
Oakdale Road
Oakley Hill
Oakley Lane
Old Wareham Road
Osbourne Road
Panorama Road
Park Road
Parkstone Road
Penn Hill Avenue
Pinecliff Road
Pinesprings Drive
Poole Road
Queen Anne Drive
Richmond Road
Ringwood Road
Roman Road (Clarendon Road to Pine Springs Road)
Sandbanks Road
Sea View Road
Seamoor Rd
Seldown Bridge (Kingland Road to Newfoundland Drive)
Serpentine Road (Railway Station to Wimborne Road)
Sherborn Cresent
Shore Road (Evening Hill to Banks Road)
Sopers Lane
Springdale Road
Stanfield Road
Station Road
Surrey Road
The Avenue
Tollerford Rd
Towngate Bridge
Upton Bypass
Upton Road
Vanguard Road
Victoria Road
Wallisdown Rd
Waterloo Road
Wessex Way (adjacent to County Gates))
West Quay Road
West Street
Western Rd
Wimborne Road
Woodpecker Drive
Woodside Road (Longmeadow Drive to Northmead Road)
Yarmouth Road
Yarrow Road (Canford Way to Links Road/Dorset Way Slip)
York Road (Sopers Lane to Broadway)
PRIORITY 2 PRE-SALTING ROUTES
/Abingdon Road
Alder Crescent (Aspen Road to Alder Road)
Alderney Avenue
Alexandra Road (part)
Alexandra Road (Vale Road to Bournemouth Road)
Arne Avenue
Aspen Road
Bourne Valley Road (Poole Road to Surrey Road)
Branksome Wood Road
Canford Cliffs Road (Lilliput Road to Penn Hill)
Coles Avenue
Commercial Road Service Road (bus access)
Cowley Road (Abingdon Road to Nuffield Road)
Evering Avenue (Manor Avenue to Corbiere Avenue)
Fernbarrow (circuit from University dual carriageway roundabout)
Fitzworth Road
Fleets Lane
Garland Road
Grove Road
Guest Avenue
Harbour View Road
Hatch Pond Road (Nuffield Road to Stinsford Road)
Kitchener Crescent
Knights Road (King John Avenue to Runnymede Avenue)
Lagland Street
Lake Road (Lulworth Avenue to Blandford Road)
Links Road
Livingstone Road (Churchill Road to Uppleby Road)
Mansfield Road
Melbury Avenue
Merley Lane (Rempstone Road to Queen Anne Drive)
Newfoundland Drive (Seldown Bridge to Lagland Street)
North Lodge Road
Northmere Road
Nuffield Road
Oakley Straight
Old Orchard
Pinewood Road
Pottery Road
Pound Lane
Rempstone Road
Rossmore Road
Runnymede Avenue (Knights Road to King John Avenue)
Sandecotes Road
Southill Road
St Osmunds Road
Stanley Green Road (Vicarage Road to Sterte Road)
Sterte Road
The Quay (Poole Bridge to Old Orchard)
Tower Road
Turbary Road (Herbert Avenue to Melbury Avenue)
Turlin Road
Upper Road
Uppleby Road
Vicarage Road
Westminster Road (Pinecliff Road to The Avenue)
Winston Avenue
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