1. Roads and Transportation Service EAST AYRSHIRE COUNCIL GET READY FOR WINTER FOOTWAY TREATMENTS October 2011

2. Roads and Transportation Service Footway Treatments Traditional Approach Drivers for Change Review of Footway Gritting Routes Trigger Levels Treatment Winter 2010/11 Review Summer 2011 Proposed Treatment Winter 2011/12

3. Roads and Transportation Service Footway Treatments - Traditional Approach Priority 1 footways developed over time. Route cards and records were rudimentary. No trigger levels in place. Footways treated by Outdoor Amenities. Action determined by Area Engineer at 7-8am. Employees had to return to base to organise equipment. Road salt spread by tractor towed spreader or by hand.

4. Roads and Transportation Service Footway Treatments - Traditional Approach Problems were highlighted during winters 2008/09 and 2009/10. Main source of complaints received by Roads and Elected Members related to the treatment of footways – or rather the lack of treatment. East Ayrshire Council undertook a major review of the Winter Service during 2010. One of the main areas reviewed was the treatment of footways.

5. Roads and Transportation Service Footway Treatments – Drivers for Change Summary of Previous Four Winters Salt Used2007/088132 tonnes 2008/0912121 tonnes 2009/1013743 tonnes 2010/1110443 tonnes Treatments2007/0890 Days 2008/09109 Days 2009/10112 Days 2010/11117 Days

6. Roads and Transportation Service Footway Treatments – Review of Routes Priorities based on footway hierarchy and wider pedestrian and other policy priorities Priority 1 Footway Routes – 142km Urban shopping areas and precincts. Footway access to emergency facilities including fire and rescue, police, ambulance services and hospitals. Other public services (Schools, health centres etc.). Priority 2 Footway Routes - 56 Km Other access routes to town and village centres. Known problem areas including significant gradients.

7. Roads and Transportation Service Footway Treatments – Review of Routes

8. Roads and Transportation Service Footway Treatments – Trigger Levels Priority 1 footways treated when of a forecast of ice or snow with temperatures below zero for the next 24 hours Winter controller issues instruction to treat as part of lunchtime decision process. Priority 2 footways treated when adverse conditions forecast over a prolonged period, treated during the working day. Priority 2 treatments commence upon completion of Priority 1 footways.

9. Roads and Transportation Service Footway Treatments – Winter 2010/11 Priority 1 footways outwith Kilmarnock treated as before with rock-salt applied by mini gritters. Priority 1 footways within Kilmarnock treated with a sodium chloride brine spray as a trial. Peacock Ltd utilised pray equipment mounted on quad bikes to treat 70km of footway. The brine solution was applied at 20ml/sqm. Priority 2 footways treated with road salt.

10. Roads and Transportation Service Footway Treatments – Review 2011 Brine spraying was popular with town centre shopkeepers – no complaints regarding dirty shops. No detritus left on footways treated with brine spray. Brine spray alone not effective on fallen snow. Priority 1 footways generally treated between 5 – 8am. Pro-active decision making made more effective use of resources. Scope to increase lengths of Priority 2 footways. Community Service groups used to assist in extreme weather conditions.

11. Roads and Transportation Service Footway Treatments – Winter 2011/12 Trial in Kilmarnock extended for a further winter. Calcium chloride to be used instead of sodium chloride. This is effective to lower temperatures and have a longer residual life but is more expensive. Snow ploughs to be available for quad bikes. Monitoring regime to be developed to ensure effective feedback on trial, with comparisons made with control sites. Trigger level for Priority 1 brought forward to 10am, effect is likely to increase number of days of treatment.