Last year the Council issued the press statement below about leaves and drains which may be worth repeating again this year.
Could you be a drain-sweeping hero? Take a broom and sweep the leaves away if they are blocking a drain in your street.
The rules are:
- Wait until the worst weather has subsided
- Be vigilant of traffic
- Stay on the pavement
- Do not bend, or step into the road
- Remove leaves from the surface only
Do not lift the drain cover or try to address blocked drains.
Some drains require a professional or even a long-term engineering solution. The teams on the street have encountered many others that just needed a scrape of a boot to clear the leaves and drain the water away.
Civil Protection Manager Simon Creed said: “You sort out the problem easily enough, then more leaves fall and the problem’s back. It’s straightforward to sweep the leaves away. I think residents are unsure if they’re allowed to help. They are welcome to do so, so long as they carefully follow the advice (given above).”
