Three hundred tonnes of leaves are being cleared from Calderdale’s roads every week.

Since the start of November the council’s team has been out in force using gully wagons, sweepers and manually clearing leaves.

After last year’s flooding, they decided to prioritise flood prone areas, but now they are sweeping their way across the rest of Calderdale.

They will continue until January in the hope their efforts keep drains clear in case of heavy rainfall.

Two large sweepers are working a ten-hour day, seven days a week. They are averaging between 60 and 70 loads, removing between 250 and 300 tonnes each week and covering up to 600 miles every week.

Calderdale Council clearing leaves away from drains

Clr Susan Press, Cabinet Member for Neighbourhoods and Communities, said: “We know it’s vital to keep drainage clear of leaves and debris, particularly in areas where this can cause problems during periods of heavy rain. We’ve allocated extra resources to tackle the problem quickly, following the windy autumn weather which led to a build-up in some areas.

“Our Highways team has hired in an additional sweeper specifically for leaf clearance so that we can make sure that we stay on top of the problem.”

Calderdale says people can report blocked gullies to them by visiting

www.calderdale.gov.uk – search for ‘blocked gullies’.