Emergency plan for another bad winter

TOWN Hall chiefs at Warrington have approved an emergency plan which will swing into action in the event of a repeat of the severe winter weather which virtually brought the town to a standstill in early January.
They have also praised the “unsung heroes” who kept services going as the town struggled under the unaccustomed weight of snow and ice.
Council leader Ian Marks (pictured) said: “There were a lot of unsung heroes working behind the scenes.
“I think we did very well, taking into account the severity of the weather.
“But if and when it happens again we have to make sure we are ready.”
A review carried out by a special executive task group has revealed the council had to find an extra £400,000 for gritting, buying extra salt and labour associated with snow clearance and the thaw.
Cost of dealing potholes and deteriorating roads caused by the severe weather was likely to cost a further £300-400,000 this year, with further pressures likely in the future.
An additional salt storage facility is expected to cost £270,000 and the cost of utilising an extra road gritter is estimated at £80,000.
The council received complaints from residents and businesses – mainly about the lack of gritting of roads and pavements and refuse collections.
But they also receive compliments, particularly about helpful refuse collectors and information provided on the council’s website.
Although there was a perception that roads were not gritted, priority A roads and emergency routes were gritted.
A total of 1900 tonnes of salt was used, compared with 1500 in an average winter season and there was a 42 per cent increase in grit runs.
Proposed actions in the event of a similar period of severe weather include:
* Temporary local accommodation for senior council officers who live out of Warrington.
* A “director of operations” – either chief executive Diana Terris or someone she appoints – to make major decisions and co-ordinate departmental actions.
* Member training sessions.
* Working in collaboration with NHS Warrington to review service delivery challenges.
In addition there will be reviews of the gritting route network, performance of the gritting fleet, weather forecasting performance and salt supplies.
It is proposed to increase salt storage from 1200 tonnes to almost 2000 tonnes, ensure all schools have their own stocks of grit and draw up a list of local businesses with access to JCBs which could clear snow at short notice.
Coun Alan Litton, the council’s executive member for environment and transport, said: “For many people in Warrington, this was the worst winter in living memory.
“But we can’t know whether it will be repeated or was a one-in-30 years event.