Council’s teams tackle flood risks

Teams from Cheshire West and Chester Council are working hard to protect residents in the borough from the risks posed by flooding in the coming winter months.

The Council’s Highways and StreetCare Services have recently concentrated their efforts in high-risk areas and prepared communities in Northwich, Acton Bridge and Weaverham.

This has involved large-scale grid cleaning, drainage jetting and sweeping operations to keep drainage systems and road surfaces as clear of debris as possible.

The Council’s Highways Service gully (grid) annual cleaning programme, which aims to clean a total of 86,650 grids across the borough at least once before March 2022 is also ahead of schedule.

Bad weather earlier this year, including the infamous Storm Christoph, caused flooding problems across the borough when some drainage systems struggled to cope with the sheer volume of water.  Cleaning all the borough’s grids using specialist vehicles will ensure grids are kept in good working order.

Other locations already actioned this year include: Ashton Hayes, Kelsall, Blacon, Great Barrow, Great Boughton, Ellesmere Port, Crowton, Saughall, Tattenhall, Wincham, Whitley and Davenham.

Preparation works have now also been completed on B5133 Hooton Road, and started in Farndon this week, with Chester Moorings to follow from 18 November.  These locations have been brought forward in the team’s schedule.

The Council’s Deputy Leader and Cabinet Member for Environment, Highways and Strategic Transport, Councillor Karen Shore said: “I’d like to reassure residents that we are being proactive with our winter preparations and our teams are doing all they can to protect communities from the risks posed by flooding this winter.

“The COP26 environmental summit draws to a close this week and over the last two weeks we have heard how Climate Change is affecting us all and is a factor in local flooding.”

Gully, or grid, maintenance is an important part of the Highways Team’s work.  Under each grid is a ‘gully pot’ which is designed to contain as much silt and detritus as possible, minimising the risk of blockages.  

Once the silt and detritus has been removed the gully pot is refilled with clean water to ensure the connection is flowing, the water level will remain at the height of the outlet pipe.

Problems with gullies/grids can be reported on the Council’s website or Report It app. Though please bear in mind, a clean, working gully will still always have some water in it. 

The Council is the Lead Local Flood Authority for the borough and under Section 19 of the Flood and Water Management Act 2010 has responsibilities to undertake flood risk investigations, working alongside other agencies including the Environment Agency and United Utilities, at a number of locations across the borough.  More information about these responsibilities and investigations is available on the Council’s website.

The team’s current schedule for gully cleansing is also available on the Council’s website.