MORAY COUNCIL - ROADS MAINTENANCE WINTER SERVICE

ARRANGEMENTS WITH FARMERS & CONTRACTORS

Bill Ross, Road Maintenance Manager, Moray Council

Moray Council – Winter Service• Historical Arrangements with farmers

• Pre 1974 Banff and Moray County Councils• 1974 – 1996 Grampian Regional Council• 1996 – 2011 Moray Council

Moray Council – Winter Service

• Contractual arrangements.• 34 contracts .• Plans to increase this further.

• Contracts evolved as needed.• Father to son.• Limited gritting service.

• Contracts clearly identify the terms and conditions including such issues as hourly hire rates, insurances, licensing of vehicles, maintenance of ploughs, lines of communications and method of payment. Maps are provided to the farmers detailing the minor local roads in their areas for which they are responsible.

Moray Council – Winter Service

• Contracts clearly indentify the terms and conditions.• Route maps provided.

Moray Council – Winter Service

• Farmers directed by Duty Supervisor.

Moray Council – Winter Service

• Strong element of trust.

• Specification not too prescriptive.

• Rates fixed by the Council.• Generally based on Ringlink (Scotland) Ltd.

Moray Council – Winter Service

• 2011/12 - £21.00/hour to £28.50/hour (150 H.P.) Larger tractors even higher.

• Public appreciate the service.• Mostly local farmers working locally.• Otherwise compacted to ice before Council get through

Moray Council – Winter Service

• Many farmers contract machinery nowadays.• Biggest tractors supplied by agricultural contractors.

Moray Council – Winter Service

Health and Safety issues?

Moray Council – Winter Service

• In addition, during the recent severe winters, offers were also made by Forest Enterprise to carry out snow clearing on certain rural roads free of charge. This offer has been readily accepted and is mutually beneficial as it allows forestry contractors and their hauliers to continue operating in some areas even in severe conditions. A formal agreement with Forest Enterprise has been put in place which allows this arrangement to continue should the need arise again.

• Arrangement with The Forestry Commission.

• Arrangement with The Lecht Ski Centre

Moray Council – Winter Service

Moray Council – Winter Service

• The cost benefit is clearly positive.

• Average expenditure on farmers is approximately £30k p.a. out of a total annual spend of over £2million.

• Arrangements work well and have grown over time.

• However EU procurement procedures to be considered?

Moray Council – Winter Service

• Uplifting of snow from urban roads and footways.

Moray Council – Winter Service

• When to do it?

• During January 2010, 19 local contractors employed along with council resources at a cost £250k.

• Need for pre-arranged plans, risk assessments and plant hire contracts.

Moray Council – Winter Service

• Where do you put it? – SEPA involvement?

Any Questions?