Agenda and minutes

Bob Stock, Network Principal Engineer, to report.

-           to consider allowing Parish Councils to purchase and place grit bins.

The Network Principal Engineer, Streetpride, outlined a request, received from Harthill with Woodall Parish Council, for permission to place out and subsequently maintain additional salt bins on public highways within the village.

It was explained that there were 4 proposed locations:-

• Hard Lane at the junction with Northlands
• Union Street at the junction with Serlby Lane
• Whinney Hill at the junction with The Crescent
• At the end of Pryor Mede

and it was noted that these sites did not meet the criteria used by the Council to provide and maintain bins. 

It was pointed out that if this request was approved there may well be interest from other Parish Councils to provide similar services on streets within their areas.

It was therefore suggested that if agreements with Town or Parish Councils were entered into for those Councils to provide and maintain salt bins in addition to those provided by the Borough Council then they should be subject to the following conditions:-

• Locations put forward for where the bins are proposed to be sited be subject to prior consultation with residents.
• Locations be agreed as suitable by Streetpride’s enforcement officers prior to any application.
• The bins should be clearly labelled as the property and responsibility of the Town / Parish Council.
• The bins have a contact number for servicing or reporting problems.
• The bins should preferably be a distinctive colour (green is suggested) different from those provided by the highway authority.

Those present discussed the anticipated costs to the Parish Councils, and the need to check the location of some existing bins which had already been placed by some Parish Councils.

It was reported that Legal Services had been consulted on this proposal and it was confirmed that Parish Councils had the powers to do this.  However the duty to ensure that roads were kept free of snow and ice remained the duty of the Borough Council.

Resolved:-  (1) That an agreement be entered into with Harthill with Woodall Parish Council for that Council to place out and maintain salt bins on highways within the parish subject to appropriate conditions, and all other Parish and Town Councils be informed of the decision.

(2)  That the purchase of grit bins by Parish Councils be an item on the agenda for the next meeting of the Borough Council’s Parish Liaison meeting.