Robertson slams "inadequate" Kent response to severe weather

9.25.04am GMT Fri 8th Jan 2010

Kent Lib Dem County Councillor Malcolm Robertson has written to Kent County Council's Director of Environment, Highways and Waste, Mike Austerberry, demanding a better response to winter road clearing in future. Cllr Robertson praised the "herculean" efforts of KCC staff, but called for more resources, planning and joint working with districts to ensure roads and pavements are cleared more effectively in future.

In his letter, Maidstone Councillor Malcolm Robertson said:

"I write to you, with the continuing severe weather conditions that we are currently enduring, to raise an issue that is causing great concern to the public of Kent. It is the Highway Authority's totally inadequate response to the ensuing emergency situation. The response has simply been inadequate, lacking in both breadth and depth, and the attention to detail that is necessary to keep everyone safe in these extreme conditions; particularly pedestrians. Members of the public are being put at great risk of injury because of this lack of action.

"I have been reliably informed that in late December, at the outset of this phase of bad weather, at least one of the Districts in Kent offered additional labour resources to Kent; available because the inclement weather prevented their normal functions, and the District was only expecting their marginal additional on-costs to be met. I am told that offer was declined and Kent insisted it did not require additional assistance. At this time, the County Cabinet Member, Mr Chard, was also insisting that clearing the highway footways of snow and ice was not a County function and responsibility, which of course it is. After some days, Mr Chard did have to admit it was a KCC responsibility.

"The problems seem to date from the time in 2005 when the Kent Districts relinquished the highway agency-agreements they each had with KCC, and KCC took full responsibility for all highway issues. Despite the way it was trumpeted by KCC at the time, as a great improvement, this was something that many of the Districts went along with extreme reluctance. The disadvantages of completely centralising this function was clearly spelt out at the time - the loss of local knowledge and the general closeness to the problems that the Districts have in situations like we have now and their flexible approach, is one that cannot be replaced by a central County bureaucracy. Time has proven this to be correct. After wasting millions of pounds of Kent taxpayers' money on failed grandiose projects for three distributed depots around the County the proposal is now for a much diminished arrangement of an improved old depot and one other, and the new Kent Highways Services (KHS) is still struggling to establish itself as a fully functional unit. Major exclusive contracts with a small number of large service providers have proved very unwieldy and dysfunctional, just adding to the department's woes.

"Surely in these circumstances the County would accept all reasonable offers of help. Not so. I am now told that in these now worsening weather conditions that a District offered the use of its currently idle refuse collection workforce to KHS and the offer was refused (because of the difficulty of managing the situation!?) Surely in current circumstances it should be a case of all hands to the pumps. Marginal extra expenditure where it is effective and necessary to ensure public safety should not be an issue in this emergency.

"I understand there is a meeting scheduled next week with Kent Chief Executives. I must urge you to come to an agreement with the Districts to put in place a workable plan without delay that will utilise District labour and know-how to address these outstanding problems. It is an absolute disgrace that Kent County Council has allowed its residents to become so exposed to serious risks to life and limb, due to its lack of proper understanding of the situation and its responsibilities - OR, even worse, an unwillingness to commit to even marginal extra expenditure.

"Having said what I have, I want to go out of my way to praise the Herculean efforts that have been made by the dedicated KCC staff and all the other agencies in trying to Keep Kent working through this emergency - It is just that even more resource and planning is needed.

"I look forward to hearing about the proposed resolution to these problems."