Gullies clean-up expands to end flooding misery
COUNCILLORS are desperate to see gullies cleared as soon as possible after roads struggled to cope with this year’s downpours.
Following the floods in July and August - which caused severe problems across Macclesfield - work has already been stepped up.
Cheshire East Council has cleared more than 6,600 gullies in Bollington, Poynton, Adlington and Kettleshulme since the summer.
And others are set to be cleared in Prestbury by the end of the month.
At a meeting where Cheshire East Council’s response to the floods was discussed, councillors spoke out on the issue and said work to clear gullies needs to be extended - particularly in the south of the borough.
Councillor Brian Roberts, cabinet member for highways and waste, said: “I called a meeting last week with the officers and it was agreed that we should be treating the south of the borough exactly with the same intensity as we have treated the north of the borough.
“There will be the resources there to get these gullies cleared out, so for the rest of winter we should have a relatively clear go so to speak.
“The problem of course is that if we do get any more flooding incidents after we clear the gullies out, they are instantly filled with detritus again and they have to be cleared again.
“But that’s how it is, and that is what we have to do.”
The council also wants to encourage landowners to clear gullies on their land which have affected neighbouring residents before it considers using enforcement, the committee was told.
The council withdrew a bid for Government funding under the Bellwin scheme, which reimburses costs incurred during flooding but would not have covered cleanup costs.