Issue - meetings

To provide recommendations to Cabinet about the priorities for future improvement and action.

The Committee gave consideration to a report on ‘winter learning’, which was referred to the Committee by Corporate Management Team. To enable the Committee to make recommendations to Cabinet for improvement, the report brought together and summarised the Council’s learning from events of the longest and deepest winter in thirty years.

The Committee noted that, on 20 April 2010, Cabinet approved a notice of motion regarding the adoption of a Cheshire East Policy, by a review of priorities for future years especially with regard to bus routes and roads within the vicinity of primary schools.

Following detailed consideration of the report, Members made the following observations and recommendations to Cabinet:

• With regard to school closures, it was agreed that the Director for Children and Families should be requested to attend a future meeting of the Committee, to discuss the reasons for the closures and what could be done to ensure that, where possible, schools remain open in the future.
• That the weather update received on a daily basis from the Meteorological Office be circulated to schools to assist them in determining whether or not a school should close.
• A list of farm contractors, who would be willing to assist in clearing the roads be devised.
• With regard to the Waste and Recycling Service, it was agreed that residual should take priority over recycling and garden waste.
• That a six day resilience of salt should be held in stock (6,000 tonnes) and accommodation to house that stock be sought.
• Additional salt boxes should be provided and refilled as and when required.
• That the public be made aware of the legal position with regard to them clearing footpaths and shop fronts.
• That the Central and Eastern Cheshire Primary Care Trust Report on Severe Weather be circulated to the Committee.
• With regard to Adult Services, the Committee supported the Community Assistance Plan, which was currently being developed.
• The Grounds Maintenance and Street Cleaning Services be trained to assist in gritting to further increase the resilience of the winter service.
• Formal arrangements for the clearing of certain key footpaths be included in the policy.

RESOLVED

1. That the Director for Children and Families be requested to attend a future meeting of the Committee to discuss the reasons for the school closures and what can be done to ensure that, where possible, schools remain open in the future.
2. That the recommendations and observations outlined above be taken into consideration by Cabinet when developing a policy for Cheshire East.