Drainage Maintenance

As the local Highway Authority, West Berkshire Council is responsible for maintaining approximately 32,000 roadside gullies across the district. We empty and clean road gullies on a regular basis to remove leaves, litter and other debris to prevent blockages to the carrier drains.

We currently aim to empty all gullies at least once a year or once every two years depending on their location.
 

What can my town or parish council do?

If you have roads through your area which are designated as 30mph or under, you can regularly inspect the gully gratings and roadside "grips" and clear away any leaves, litter or other debris using the appropriate hand tools.

A highway "grip" is a shallow channel across a highway verge connecting the road edge to the roadside ditch. Its purpose is to allow surface water from the highway to drain into the roadside ditch.

Please email us to discuss further details.
 

What do I need?

We've listed several method statements which should provide advice and guidance on performing these works safely:

Drainage Maintenance Method Statements

Online version	PDF download
Drainage Maintenance	Drainage Maintenance [22KB]

You'll need to have the appropriate insurance in order to carry out these works. Please read our Insurance Guidance for more information.