Work has started to clear ditches in West Oxfordshire in a bid to prevent flooding.
More than five kilometres of ditches will be cleared of vegetation, silt and litter which have built up over the last year by workers from Ubico, West Oxfordshire District Council’s maintenance company.
Areas cleared include parts of Bampton and Carterton as well as Madley Brook and Judd’s Close in Witney. It is hoped the operation will be completed before Christmas.
The work, which is part of an annual flood prevention programme following the 2007 floods, is in addition to routine inspections of known problematic pinch points, culvert inlets and critical drainage systems.
Engineers also work with landowners to clear ditches and watercourses as well as reacting to messages from residents about specific locations which are causing concern.
Cllr Steve Good, Cabinet Member for Environment, said: “The 2007 floods caused massive disruption in the District and this work is vital to help ensure the impact of such events can be reduced as much as possible.
“We would encourage landowners to carry out similar checks on their property while residents should report incidents of flooding, no matter how minor, to the council to help with future flood prevention.”
For more information on how to report a flood, see https://www.westoxon.gov.uk/residents/environment/flooding/ or call the Flood Risk Management Team on 01993 861000
Pic shows: Shane Caswell and Craig Keylock from the Ubico team clear a ditch at Madley Park in Witney
More than five kilometres of ditches will be cleared of vegetation, silt and litter which have built up over the last year by workers from Ubico, West Oxfordshire District Council’s maintenance company.
Areas cleared include parts of Bampton and Carterton as well as Madley Brook and Judd’s Close in Witney. It is hoped the operation will be completed before Christmas.
The work, which is part of an annual flood prevention programme following the 2007 floods, is in addition to routine inspections of known problematic pinch points, culvert inlets and critical drainage systems.
Engineers also work with landowners to clear ditches and watercourses as well as reacting to messages from residents about specific locations which are causing concern.
Cllr Steve Good, Cabinet Member for Environment, said: “The 2007 floods caused massive disruption in the District and this work is vital to help ensure the impact of such events can be reduced as much as possible.
“We would encourage landowners to carry out similar checks on their property while residents should report incidents of flooding, no matter how minor, to the council to help with future flood prevention.”
For more information on how to report a flood, see https://www.westoxon.gov.uk/residents/environment/flooding/ or call the Flood Risk Management Team on 01993 861000
Pic shows: Shane Caswell and Craig Keylock from the Ubico team clear a ditch at Madley Park in Witney
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