Powys Winter Maintenance Routes
Consultation has concluded
This consultation has now closed.
Please note: This consultation is for Powys County Councillors and only responses from valid County Councillor emails will be reviewed.
Proposals to reassess the way Powys roads are serviced during the winter months were considered and agreed by Powys County Council’s Cabinet on Tuesday 17 January.
The road network within Powys stretches more than 5,500 km and is made up of county roads (maintained and managed by Powys County council) and trunk roads (maintained and managed by NMWTRA on behalf of Welsh Government).
Following the agreement of cabinet back in October 2019, it was decided that the current winter service programme would be reviewed, and new proposals bought back to cabinet for consideration.
Working with the guidance from the National Winter Service Research Group (NWSRG) and the Well-managed Highway Infrastructure: A Code of Practice, it was proposed to categorise all Powys roads using a risk and evidence-based approach. In layman’s terms this means we have considered a number of factors for each road, including traffic volume, public transport links, amenities such as shops and essential services such as schools and medical centres and the location of emergency services.
The approved tiers are as follows:
| Tier | Criteria | Route of local importance | Services, Facilities, and Interchanges | Pedestrian footfall |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tier 1 | Emergency Network and Precautionary Route | Tier 1 connector | Emergency Network (Police, Ambulance, Fire), Hospitals with A&E/MIU or life support treatment e.g. dialysis, Critical Infrastructure e.g. Highways Depots, Waste and Recycling Depots and Hubs. | 10,001 + |
| Tier 2 | Precautionary Route | Tier 2 connector Connects towns/ key settlements | GP Surgeries, Health facility – non-emergency hospital. Colleges, High Schools, Primary Schools and Learning Needs Schools. Bus and Rail Stations. Pay & Display car parks in towns & key settlements. | 5,001 - 10,000 |
| Tier 3 | Community Route | Connects large villages | 1,001 - 5,000 | |
| Tier 4 | AdHoc Level 1 | Connects small villages and settlements | Care homes, Day facilities, Sheltered Housing and Supported Living. Early Years or similar provision. Leisure Centres, Libraries, Public Service Hubs and other public car parks. | 501 - 1,000 |
| Tier 5 | AdHoc Level 2 | Connects rural/ limited growth settlements | 0 - 500 |
With the categories for each road now in place we are able to apply these in practical terms and create a proposed set of winter service routes for the whole county which will have been created using a risk and evidence-based approach and will provide an equitable service for all Powys residents.
Before the new routes are finalised and adopted for next winter (2025/26), we want to make sure we haven’t missed anything. This is your chance, as local members, to double check the detail and let us know if there are any key points we still need to consider.
How to get involved
You can leave your feedback online through our map tool below, which shows the proposed winter maintenance routes for Powys. Scroll all the way to the bottom of this page and click the blue "Go to Map" button which looks like this: 
The map shows the set of winter service routes by Tier and highlights the services listed above. (Please give the map time to load all the Tiers).
Instructions on how to pin a comment to the map are given on the map tool and a step-by-step guide is also available here.
Please note: You will need to register to add comments to the map. This is to help create a safe online environment for people to share their views. The interactive map tool is a public space, so please do not share any personal information about yourself or others in your comments.
If you would prefer a printed map of your local area's Tier routes, please email highways.management@powys.gov.uk to request a copy and a feedback form.
The closing date for feedback is Sunday 27th October.
