Highways crews accused of sweeping streets ‘to fill time’

Twm Owen, local democracy reporter

A council’s highways crews have been accused of sweeping streets “to fill time” when flood prone areas have been left untouched.

Councillor Tony Kear made the claim when he asked how Monmouthshire County Council deploys its road sweepers.

The council has three large mechanical sweepers and three smaller sweepers used for town centres.

Priority

Conservative Cllr Kear claimed the Llangybi to Tredunnock road had been swept four times this year and said parts of Usk should have a greater priority.

He said: “It seems daft to me that places that get flooded are not a priority but there is what looks like routine sweeping to fill time.”

The councillor also said officers in the highways department want a bigger, seven and a half tonne, mini sweeper.

Cllr Catrin Maby, the Labour cabinet member with responsibility for highways, said she couldn’t answer to “that level of detail” but said to Cllr Kear “let’s talk more”.

‘Reactive’

She had also told the council’s December meeting most of the road sweeping team’s work in town centres is “reactive” while villages receive three scheduled sweeps a year as well as reactive work.

The councillor said capital funding, from the previous Conservative council administration, for the third large sweeper is due to come to an end this financial year and said due to financial challenges there will be “difficult decisions” on work going forward but would provide more detail to Cllr Kear when possible.