Almost 600 drains and gullies will be inspected and cleared from next week to prepare the city for autumn and winter downpours.
More than 230 roads will benefit from the extra checks, which are in addition to Brighton and Hove City Council’s regular maintenance programme.
The council says it will focus on cleaning and jetting the drains and gullies it can access, identifying defects and investigating blockages.
Drains obstructed by parked vehicles will still be assessed where possible and revisited at the next available date
And it says a storm response cleaning programme will also target critical locations when weather warnings or named storms are forecast.
Councillor Trevor Muten, Cabinet member for Transport and City Infrastructure, said: “As we’ve seen this summer, we are having to do more to adapt the impacts of climate change.
“With more severe weather events and storms predicted, it’s important we’re proactive in trying to prevent surface water flooding and protect those vulnerable homes and businesses across the city.
“By targeting high risk areas, we’re ensuring drains and gullies are clear and working effectively before the bad weather hits. Our new storm response cleaning programme will also mean we’re ready to act when heavy rain’s being forecast.”
“Extra” ??
Mt take exactly. Several blocked up near me and I gave up reporting them on the council website as nothing ever happened.
I’ve been in touch with my councillor and the council over the past few weeks who tell me it is being sorted. It rained hard a few days ago and I spent an hour brushing away water from my and several over peoples houses which were very near to being flooded. If it rains hard late at night before the gullies are sorted our houses will flood and we will demand compensation from the council.
As we are now reacting to climate change by clearing gullies, was there climate change before covid but none until this week then ?
Extra clean? When was the last one? I thought the unspoken policy was never to clean gullies, save money, let the roads flood and then claim it is Climate Change.
You complained when they aren’t cleaned, you complained when they are cleaned. Not sure what you’re actually hoping for.