Agenda item

To consider the following motion submitted by Councillors Melanie Forrest, Jude Towers, Morgwn Trolinger, John Whitelegg:

“This council congratulates the hard working staff that undertook gritting operations over the Christmas New Year period.  Council notes that for many residents especially the elderly and those with mobility difficulties the conditions on footpaths and pavements were very difficult indeed and led to severe inconvenience, injury and isolation.

Bearing in mind these difficulties experienced by thousands of our residents and taxpayers and bearing in mind that resource constraints do not allow for every path to be gritted by council staff, Lancaster City Council requests that the Lancashire County Council take the following actions to reduce these severe problems in the future:

• Provide a comprehensive network of grit bins throughout the district and ensure they are filled before the start of the winter gritting period.

• Put in place arrangements to deal with telephone and e-mail requests to fill the bins on a regular basis during the winter gritting period so that no bin is left empty for more than 24 hours

• Prepare advice on how best to use the gritting supplies and how to keep paths and pavements clear.”

 An Officer Briefing Note is attached to the Agenda.

(Councillors Brown, Charles, Coates, Fishwick and Hanson declared personal interests in the following item as Members of the County Council.)

Further to Minute No. 94, the Mayor advised that notice of the following motion had been given to the Chief Executive in accordance with Council Procedure Rule 15 by Councillors Melanie Forrest, Jude Towers, Morgwn Trolinger and John Whitelegg and had been deferred at the previous meeting:

“This council congratulates the hard working staff that undertook gritting operations over the Christmas New Year period.  Council notes that for many residents especially the elderly and those with mobility difficulties the conditions on footpaths and pavements were very difficult indeed and led to severe inconvenience, injury and isolation.

Bearing in mind these difficulties experienced by thousands of our residents and taxpayers and bearing in mind that resource constraints do not allow for every path to be gritted by council staff, Lancaster City Council requests that the Lancashire County Council take the following actions to reduce these severe problems in the future:

• Provide a comprehensive network of grit bins throughout the district and ensure they are filled before the start of the winter gritting period.

• Put in place arrangements to deal with telephone and e-mail requests to fill the bins on a regular basis during the winter gritting period so that no bin is left empty for more than 24 hours

• Prepare advice on how best to use the gritting supplies and how to keep paths and pavements clear.”

A briefing note setting out background information and the implications for the City Council was provided by the Corporate Director (Community Services), who answered a number of questions prior to the debate.

With the agreement of the meeting, the motion was moved by Councillor Forrest and seconded by Councillor John Whitelegg with the addition of a fourth bullet point:

• Obtain written advice from the LGA or Department of Transport on liabilities in the case of accidents and injuries sustained on areas gritted by members of the public.

It was then moved by Councillor Blamire way of an amendment:

‘that the County Council also be asked to consider keeping at least one access road and pavements clear in areas of steep streets.’

This was seconded by Councillor Bryning and with the agreement of the meeting and her seconder accepted by Councillor Forrest as a friendly amendment.

At the conclusion of the debate a vote was taken when many Members voted for the motion, whereupon the Mayor declared the motion clearly carried.

Resolved:

(1)               That this council congratulates the hard working staff that undertook gritting operations over the Christmas New Year period.  Council notes that for many residents especially the elderly and those with mobility difficulties the conditions on footpaths and pavements were very difficult indeed and led to severe inconvenience, injury and isolation.

(2)               That, bearing in mind these difficulties experienced by thousands of our residents and taxpayers and bearing in mind that resource constraints do not allow for every path to be gritted by council staff, Lancaster City Council requests that the Lancashire County Council take the following actions to reduce these severe problems in the future:

·         Provide a comprehensive network of grit bins throughout the district and ensure they are filled before the start of the winter gritting period.

·         Put in place arrangements to deal with telephone and e-mail requests to fill the bins on a regular basis during the winter gritting period so that no bin is left empty for more than 24 hours

·         Prepare advice on how best to use the gritting supplies and how to keep paths and pavements clear.”

·         Obtain written advice from the LGA or Department of Transport on liabilities in the case of accidents and injuries sustained on areas gritted by members of the public.

·         Consider keeping at least one access road and pavements clear in areas of steep streets.