To receive a verbal update from the Area Managers from Technical Services and Neighbourhood Services in attendance about any key recent, ongoing and/or future planned Local Services work for the attention of members of the Local Area Council, who will also then have the opportunity to raise issues with the Area Managers.??
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The Area Managers have principal responsibility for highway services and environmental services, such as refuse collection, street cleansing and grounds maintenance, within the geographic boundaries of the Local Area Council.?
Minutes:
Highways
Resurfacing
The surfacing gang had
completed 14 out of the 18 LTP schemes in the North of the county
and had started work on the additional 8 schemes from the 2022
Highways Investment Programme – U and C roads.
Since the last Local Area Council, the following schemes had been completed:
· Fallowden to Rock
· Preston Towers to Ellingham School
· Magdalene Fields, Warkworth
· Harwood Village
· Elyhaugh, near Longframlington
A tender was due to go out regarding the landslip at Todstead near Weldon Bridge with a view to start work in Spring 2023, but temporary repairs would be completed before work commenced proper.
Maintenance
The team was preparing for the winter increase in pothole and flooding complaints but inspectors had been keeping on top of their inspection routes.
The Northumberland County Council Highways Maintenance team had been shortlisted for an award by APSE – Association for Public Service Excellence, as one of the best performers in the Country.
Winter Services
The response team was in place
to cover roughly 40% of the network.
Members had received a briefing note from the Highways Delivery
Manager on the Winter works scheme prior to the meeting.
Following questions from members, the following information was provided:
· The cost of materials had increased by 25% due to the Cost of Living crisis and were expected to rise again.
Members thanked Graham and the team for their continued hard work.
Local Services
Grass Cutting
Grass cutting had ended for the year and the team had achieved the core cut target of 10 out of 12.
Weed Control
The Local Services team would take the opportunity to review the effectiveness of the 2022 weed control programme with a view to improve on the 2023 season.
Street Sweeping
To prevent localised flooding, leaf hotspot areas had been located and work had commenced. Requests were attended to, over and above the hot spot areas.
Winter Works
The winter works programme had started for the season.
Core works were to be carried out first then the team would move onto the prioritised list of requests.
Waste Services
Residual, Recycling and Garden
waste collection services were operating well.
Garden waste collections would end November/December.
Income from garden waste
exceeded the target, however demand for the service was
slowing.
Income from commercial waste and bulk collections were exceeding
targets.
Teams would continue to review existing collection rounds in order to cope with ingoing housing growth as well as continued growth in take up of the garden waste service.
The kerbside glass recycling scheme trial was continuing, allowing more data to be collected on volume, service efficient and participation rates.
A food trial had also started, operated from the Morpeth Depot, which would be a weekly kerbside collection in a small caddy rather than a wheelie bin. A specialist vehicle had been brought in for the trial and it was similar to the glass trial. A compact trial was deliberately designed to keep costs as low as possible while still including the required demographic groups for essential data gathering.
Members thanked Bob and the Local Services team for their continued hard work.
RESOLVED that this was noted.