Additional Investment helps prevent flooding in Staffordshire

Nearly 20% more drains cleared across Staffordshire, thanks to additional investment. Staffordshire County Council is making significant strides in flood prevention and drainage improvement across the region, having cleared nearly 53,000 gullies this year. 

Gully cleaning, which involves removing blockages like debris and waste from drains, is just one of the proactive measures employed by Staffordshire Highways to ensure effective drainage systems countywide.  There are 164,774 drains in Staffordshire and the extra £8 million invested into fixing more roads back in May has enabled crews to clear 52,947 gullies since April. This is an increase of 18% compared to the same time last year, further bolstering the county’s defences against flooding.

Mark Deaville, Cabinet Member for Strategic Highways, said: “Our teams successfully cleared around 53,000 drains this year, playing a vital role in reducing flood risk. This is in addition to attending emergency flooding incidents, drainage dig downs and maintaining drainage ditches. “We also know that severe weather often worsens road defects, which is why we committed an additional £8 million in May to repair road surfaces and undertake preventative measures to ensure we are prepared for wetter winters. This important funding has enabled us to fix more than 27,000 potholes and clean nearly 20% more gullies compared to this time last year. "It’s also important to remember that the gullies are really only designed to deal with the water/rain that falls on the road and not from water run off from building sites, new builds and farmland."

Additional Investment helps prevent flooding in Staffordshire last updated 27.12.24