Wakefield Council has stepped up its autumn clean-up to prepare the district for severe weather.
The authority has doubled the number of mechanical road sweepers to 12 and increased its gully cleansing vehicles from three to five.
Leaves, silt and debris built up on roads and in gullies during the prolonged dry summer, and leaf fall is arriving earlier than usual. Sweepers remove material before it can enter the drainage system, helping gullies work effectively and improving the look of streets.
One sweeper recently collected more than 26 tonnes of leaves and debris from a five-mile stretch of road in a single week, according to the local authority.
The council maintains around 67,000 gullies. At least a third are cleaned each year under its planned programme, with known flood hotspots cleaned twice yearly and main roads once.
Cabinet Member for Neighbourhood Services Cllr Julian Carter said the council is ‘keeping up the momentum’ by putting more resources onto the roads.
‘Our cleansing team are focused on road sweeping and gully cleansing to help keep our communities looking their best and get us ready for any severe weather over autumn and winter,’ he said
Photo: © Daniil Korbut
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