BEST VALUE REVIEW WINTER MAINTENANCE SERVICE 1 Background Winter Maintenance was selected as a priority service for review for the following reasons:- The County Council s strategic corporate approach to Best Value objectives and priorities are set out in Lincolnshire County Council s Serving the Community document. Winter Maintenance features as a high priority for the County Council and forms a major commitment to serving the theme of safer communities. The service was highlighted as an area of public concern in the 1997 Residents Survey. Winter Maintenance concerns were also expressed in the County News Public Survey where 41% of the respondents stated that they were dissatisfied with the service. New initiatives and developments in technology in both materials (pre-wetted salt and brine) and vehicles require a review of future methods of service delivery. 2 Terms of Reference, Resourcing and Scope of the Review The following Terms of Reference were approved by Lincolnshire County Council s Highways and Planning Committee on 27 March 2000. The review process has focused on the inputs and outcomes. An initial budget of 26,000 was allocated in order to fund the Review. The scope of the review focused on the 2,350km of road salted out of a total 8,650km of highway network. A priority network of 34 routes which cover all the main traffic routes provides a treated link from each main village to the strategic network. A fleet of 34 front-line dedicated vehicles able to spread salt at a rate of between 10-25 grammes m5 when frosts are forecast. 3 Position Prior to the Review Lincolnshire has a sound record in a number of specific areas of the Winter Maintenance Service including:- Leading authority on the implementation of innovative treatment systems. Outsourcing of vehicle provision via TransLinc Ltd Outsourcing of the delivery of the operational gritting service via LCR Highways Ltd.
Lincolnshire is a full member of the Transport Research Laboratory/Local Authority Salt Trials Project Board which is developing a series of national trials on winter salting techniques. Amalgamation of the service by removal of winter maintenance responsibilities from Agent Authorities. Review of the Winter Maintenance Service in 1990 resulting in a decrease in treatment times from 8 hours to 4 hours and expansion of the gritter fleet. However, Lincolnshire has one of the poorer records in relation to accidents which occur on the roads, due to ice and snow. County has one of the highest number of killed/serious injury accident rates where ice/snow was contributing factors. One of the four lower rated authorities on the percentage of the county network treated. 4 Review and Project Teams To comply with the County Council s Corporate Minimum Standards and Government guidance on Best Value, a Review Team and Project Team were established comprising representatives from LCR Highways, TransLinc, Freight Transport Association, Confederation of Passenger Transport, Road Haulage Association, Cambridgeshire and Lincolnshire County Councils. 5 The 4C s In compliance with Government guidance in their approach to the Review, the Review Team focused on the 4C s - consult, compare, challenge and compete. 5.1 Consult The consultation process has considered the three main groups affected by the Service:- Users/Public, Parish Councils, County Council Members, larger businesses. Providers (Operational staff). Stakeholders/Partners, Contractors, Consultants, Suppliers. The main concern of the users were:- Awareness of salting routes within the County. Additional salting routes. Co-ordination of school bus routes. Environmental impact.
A consultation workshop for staff and stakeholders concentrated on three main themes:- Depots and communication. Decision making. Equipment specification. Progress seminars have been held for the benefit of Council Members, which have helped them to become better informed of the processes of the Winter Maintenance Service process. 5.2 Compare Detailed comparison studies have taken place with 13 other local authorities. A variety of methodology was used during this phase of the review including:- Questionnaire on all facets of the Winter Maintenance process. Visit to Cambridgeshire County Council on the financial comparison of Vehicle and Works provision. Detailed discussions with other authorities, Transport Research Laboratory and other organisations involved in the National Salt Trials Research Group which Lincolnshire is chairing. Lincolnshire is already in the forefront of developing innovative new ways to provide a Winter Maintenance Service with its partners who provide the service. Examples from the analysis of the comparison data has shown Lincolnshire in the following light:- Below average percentage of network treated. Below average on treatment times. Above average efficiency on usage of gritters. Above average efficiency on usage of depots. Below average number of weather stations for size of network. Average for cost per treated km. Very efficient on cost/treated km/turnout. Has poor route efficiency. 5.3 Challenge The County Council is tasked with providing a good quality Winter Maintenance Service for the safe passage of the public during the winter months. The Challenge was to find better ways of providing the service.
The Challenge phase of the review concentrated on a number of major themes:- How much, which and where should the highway be treated - Schools to be served by the treated network - Hospitals are linked to the treated network - Incorporation of public service and school bus routes be considered Take account of accident and insurance claim statistics - Assessed as part of the point scoring criteria - Review of the Ice Prediction system - Investigate the possibility of equipping gritters with a data logging system Review depot locations and provision - Disposal of certain high value sites - Leasing of alternative sites - Taking account of Environment Agency recommendations and guidance for all depots Outsourcing opportunities - Limited opportunities as most of service outsourced Alternative delivery methods - Vehicle provision and specification investigated - Detailed examination of way gritters are calibrated and frequency of calibration - Review of the types of salt used Additional resources during periods of heavy snowfall 5.4 Compete - Ways this can be sourced 95% of the Winter Maintenance Service budget of 2.4m is outsourced through contracts with LCR Highways Ltd (for drivers), TransLinc Ltd (for vehicles), the Met Office (for forecasts), Vaisala Ltd (for ice prediction system), Salt Union and Salinity UK Ltd (for the salt), farmers for snow ploughing support. In considering who can best provide the service in the future and whether to amalgamate some aspects of the service, it was agreed that the procurement aspect of the review should be considered by the Highways Services Best Value Review.
However, it is recommended that:- Benchmarking of vehicle provision is undertaken. Investigations be opened with adjacent authorities on a possible consortium to purchase the weather forecast service. 6 Key Findings The main findings from the review are:- Recommendation that 3 extra weather stations are incorporated into the Ice Prediction system to fill gaps in the existing coverage. A point scoring criteria is developed to aid the assessment of applications for inclusion onto the treated network and which routes to schools should be included. Members agreed on 16 October 2000 to adopt the policy of converting gritting operations from dry salting to pre-wetted treatment. Gritter specifications are altered to reflect that the vehicles are now leased and not owned by the authority. Data logging system be incorporated into the gritting operations to aid in refuting insurance claims and fight legal action. That depot facilities remain under the control of the authority, either as owner or lessee, and that these facilities are provided to future term contractors at cost. Further investigation be undertaken with the Transport Research Laboratory and the National Salt Trials on which salt should give best results with the prewetted system. That it is likely that the authority will be forced by the Environment Agency in the medium term to upgrade depot facilities to meet environmental pollution controls. That vehicle calibration forms an integral and important factor in the provision of the service. 7 Action Plan As a result of the review, summary and detailed Action Plan have been produced which are incorporated in the main report. The Action Plan addresses the following key areas:- High Priority Convert gritting operations to Pre-Wet technology. Sale of high value surplus depots and determine future property requirements. Development of point scoring system to assess applications for additions to the salting network, encompassing review of footway and cycleway treatment policy. Improve weather prediction system. New vehicle specification.
Medium Priority Publication of service information. Assess environmental impact of depots. Data logging system. Low Priority Grit bin policy. Assess potential of brine only operations in conjunction with TRL Trials. Additional resources for snow clearance. 8 Monitoring Monitoring of targets will be carried out as part of Best Value Performance Monitoring. The aim is to provide clear, current, accurate and concise information on a quarterly basis for all partners responsible for implementing the actions from the review. 9 Financial Impact Members agreed at their meeting of 16 October 2000 to utilise the benefits from the decision to convert the gritter fleet of pre-wet treatment to increase the treated network. This increase in service provision will be met from within the existing budget allocation due to a reduction in salt usage costs. In the medium to long term, savings will be made due to the reduction in the vehicle specification. These will be made when existing vehicles reach the end of their lease periods and are replaced. The above will allow Lincolnshire to improve its performance in delivering the Winter Maintenance Service to a level comparable with other local authorities. 10 Outcomes The main outcome of the review is to implement the key findings. The County Council will then be in a better position to achieve top quartile status for Best Value. Although there are no National Best Value Indicators on the Winter Maintenance Service, Local Indicators have been set. 11 Post Review The Director of Highways and Planning will be responsible for progressing the outcome of the review. At key stages of the review, the following actions will be taken:-
Progress report to Senior Members. Regular reports to Highways and Planning Committee. Quarterly reports to Members on the progress of targets. Feedback will be given to the Directorate Management Team. Annual reports on progress will be provided through the Local Transport Plan. The Viewpoint Panel will be used to monitor the opinions of the general public. 12 Communication/Dissemination of Information The Review Report, including appendices and supporting evidence, will be available to interested parties via the County Council s website. It will also be available in Public Libraries. Two copies of the report will be placed in the Members Library and a copy has been given to Unison.