A DEAL to ‘top up’ Dorset Council’s highway teams is to be continued.

The total estimated cost is expected to be around £6million spread over four years, based on past use.

It allows the authority to buy in additional outside help when it needs to for occasional activities such as clearing snow and ice in bad weather and for roads work where demand can be unpredictable or contracts have to be finished quickly. Specialist staff are also bought in under the deal to operate plant and equipment and to control traffic where works are taking place.

Cabinet members agree to continue the arrangements at their meeting on Tuesday after hearing that without the flexibility the authority could find itself not able to deliver a service at times.

Cllr Ray Bryan says the flexible arrangement was especially useful when the council managed to secure additional Government funding and needed to quickly find a workforce to carry out projects: “It’s a balance between employed staff and topping up with outside people…we can’t afford to have all these people in house, it would cost us a fortune,” he said.

Corporate development director Aidan Dunn says that by continuing to using local suppliers travel and commuting costs will be kept down. Twelve of the current 22 suppliers are Dorset-based and of the others nine are from neighbouring counties, employing Dorset residents to carry out the work if possible.