Top politicians praise staff
Senior politicians have praised front line staff for keeping vital services running throughout the coronavirus pandemic.
Bin collections, road repairs, street cleansing, green care and many other services have continued despite national restrictions.
Highways crews dealt with almost 2,000 potholes during 2020, while gritters have been out 70 times in the recent snow and ice, almost double the amount in the whole of last year, using 4,745 tonnes of salt to keep people safe on the roads. They also kept all coronavirus testing and vaccine centres open during the bad weather.
Teams also dealt with more than 7,700 requests for help in dealing with blocked gullies, flooding issues, highways problems and many other urgent issues.
Staff have been hailed for their work when they were visited by Councillor Patrick Harley, leader of the council, and Councillor Karen Shakespeare, cabinet member for environment, highways and street services this week.
Councillor Patrick Harley, leader of the council, said:
It was fantastic to be able to thank staff at Lister Road depot for their hard work. The fact that they have managed to keep these services running despite significant pressures and restrictions caused by the pandemic, is astonishing.
Councillor Karen Shakespeare, cabinet member for public realm, added:
The people at Lister Road really are the unsung heroes. Most of our residents have been relying on these sorts of services more than ever before - such as bins and recycling, keeping our parks and open spaces accessible and our streets clean and tidy. “They are a real credit to this authority and to the borough.
Pictured: (front) Cllr Patrick Harley, leader of the council and Cllr Karen Shakespeare, cabinet member for public realm, with Garry Dean and Tim Johnson from Lister Road depot.