Top honours for Wigan Council's trouble-shooting roads team

The local authority fought off tough competition to be named winner of best service team in the Highways, Winter Maintenance and Street Lighting category at the 2019 APSE Awards.

The awards encourage and celebrate excellence in the public sector by measuring and comparing services across the UK.

Earlier this year the council announced it will invest an additional £3.3m of council funding in repairing the roads, topping up the £5.1m received in capital funding.

Coun Carl Sweeney, cabinet member for environment, said: “We are delighted to have once again been recognised by APSE. The highways network is the backbone of Wigan borough’s economy and the council recognises the importance of maintaining its infrastructure to a high standard.

“Our teams work around the clock in all weathers to keep the borough moving. We are so proud to have this national recognition.”

On an annual basis the service will identify and repair 14,000 potholes and the winter maintenance service will undertake 75 precautionary grits. Based at Makerfield depot, facilities include a state-of-the-art salt barn that’s filled with 5,000 tonnes of gritting salt and space for the council’s 10 multi-purpose gritting vehicles.

The council’s innovative street lighting programme has helped to slash its energy consumption and lower its carbon footprint with more than 36,500 LED lights fitted across the road system.