Staff carry on despite the snow

IT’S been an extremely unsettled start to the year so far, with the recent weather conditions and the impact Covid-19 still has on our frontline services.

Last week we had prolonged periods of rain which resulted in some parts of Carmarthenshire being flooded and roads closed. And then on the weekend we had snow and ice across most parts of the county.

Adverse weather always put added pressure on our teams, but with the coronavirus restrictions it has made it even more of a challenge.

We have had highways crews out around the clock gritting priority routes to try to keep main roads clear, and our refuse collections are also impacted. With limited staff and working in bubbles because of Covid-19, and some roads being impassable due to floods, snow or ice, it’s been very difficult for them.

We thank them for continuing to work under this pressure to provide services that affect all of us.

And of course, throughout all of this, our carers have continued to go above and beyond the call of duty to provide care in our care homes and in people’s own homes even when travelling conditions have been so bad.

As leader, on behalf of the council, I would like to thank our staff for everything they continue to do, and I’m sure I speak on behalf of many of you too.