What discussions has the Cabinet Minister had with Powys County Council regarding its plans to reduce precautionary winter gritting routes, and what assessment has she made of the impact of any reduction on rural communities, particularly school transport routes and access to health, emergency and other essential services?
This written question has been transferred to me to answer. Local highway authorities are responsible for determining winter maintenance arrangements and gritting priorities on their local road networks. This is a matter for the relevant council to determine taking account of local circumstances, obligations under relevant highways and equality legislation and local decisions on budget and service priorities. I would expect the local authority to consider the impact of any changes on access to essential services, including school transport routes, and to ensure that eligible learners continue to receive suitable and safe transport arrangements in accordance with their statutory duties under the Learner Travel (Wales) Measure 2008.
Welsh Government is responsible for the management, operation and maintenance of the Strategic Road Network, including the trunk roads that pass-through Powys. The Strategic Road Network plays a vital role in connecting communities to employment, education, healthcare, emergency services and other essential destinations. Welsh Government, through its trunk road agents, maintains established winter service arrangements on the trunk road network to help keep key routes safe and available during periods of adverse weather. Responsibilities include winter service, severe weather response, incident management and maintaining network resilience.
We continue to work closely with local authorities, emergency planning partners and other stakeholders to support a coordinated, "one-network" approach to resilience and adverse weather planning, recognising the interdependence between the Strategic Road Network and local road networks across Wales.