Blocked gullies: Armagh, Banbridge and Craigavon Council v Department for Infrastructure views on who is responsible for fallen leaves issue

With approximately 90,000 gullies in the Armagh, Banbridge and Craigavon Council area and millions of leaves falling from trees, who is responsible if the leaves block them.

-

-

Raised by DUP Cllr Mark Baxter during a meeting with the Department for Infrastructure (DfI) he said he is inundated every Autumn with calls from residents about blocked road gullies caused by fallen leaves.

Calling for ‘stronger action’ from the DFI, he said this recurring problem results ‘in surface water and flooding on many local roads’.

Clearly disappointed he said: “The Department’s response was that no additional resources are allocated to address this seasonal problem. I do not think it is acceptable that elected representatives and the public are left to continually report the same issues every year.

"The DFI should have a clear and proactive maintenance plan in place to deal with this predictable challenge,” said Alderman Baxter.

He concluded: “This is not an isolated issue. It affects many communities across our borough, and it is time for DfI to step up, plan ahead and ensure proper maintenance of our drainage systems before problems arise, not after.”

However the Department for Infrastructure pointed out the duty of Armagh, Banbridge and Craigavon Council’s duty to street sweeping, including the clearing of leaves.

In a statement this week a DfI spokesperson said: “The Department places high importance on the need to adequately maintain the road network through day-to-day essential maintenance activities such as gully emptying, to maintain the structural integrity of the road network.

“Street sweeping, including the clearing of leaves, falls under council’s responsibility as part of their remit for the collection of waste and removal of litter.

“The Department aims to inspect and clean, where necessary, all gullies once annually. Further ad-hoc cleaning is also undertaken to address any specific localised issues as required, within available budgets, and in advance of and in response to severe weather events,” the spokesperson said.

"In recognition of the importance of this area of work, Minister Kimmins has allocated further funding to deliver additional works in the form of cleaning and maintenance of drainage lines and manholes.”

Batting back, the council response’s response laid the responsibility for blocked gullies squarely on the Department for Infrastructure.

A spokesperson for Armagh City, Banbridge and Craigavon Borough Council said: “The responsibility for clearing blocked gullies in both urban and rural areas lies with the Department for Infrastructure.

"Our street cleansing teams routinely remove road debris, including leaves, as part of their scheduled maintenance operations to help prevent blockages. At this time of year, we receive an increased number of requests for street sweeping due to seasonal leaf fall.

"Members of the public can contact Environmental Services on 0300 0300 900 to report locations where heavy deposits of leaves have accumulated. When possible, we will prioritise and reallocate resources to clear these areas,” said the council spokesperson.