Drains and watercourses

You may notice on our maintenance look up that your streets gulley’s and drains wasn’t cleaned last year (2020). During the Pandemic some of our staff and efforts were directed elsewhere to support residents, this meant some services were affected. Since restrictions have lifted over the last part of 2021, we are working hard to keep our streets and neighbourhoods clean. Our Gulley Maintenance Team are continuing to ensure our roads and pavements are cleaned and monitored especially during severe weather.

 

Redbridge flash flooding

We have recently experienced flash flooding in parts of Redbridge and also across other parts of East London this Summer. In July we experienced a month’s worth of rain in just three hours which has a devastating impact on our residents homes and businesses. Our Climate Action Plan can play a key part in ensuring we protect everyone from the impact of future flash floods in the borough.

Because of the flash flooding we experienced in the borough, a report to full council set out several recommendations as part of an ongoing investigation. The report to ‘Council’ praises the resilience of residents and the response of council officers, community leaders and the emergency services in responding rapidly to the floods.

As we are all aware due to climate change, there is a strong likelihood that there will be future flooding in London and in Redbridge, which is why our council is continuing to investigate mitigation measures and demand action from the government, Thames Water and the Environment Agency, to protect residents. We are also engaging with the insurance industry to properly support policy holders with their claims.

Where we could, we stepped into the breach providing support which should have come from elsewhere. View the report to Council and the full recommendations. 

 

 

 

Want to check when your street drains will be cleaned?

 

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Gulley maintenance

Each gulley is programmed for cleaning once a year.

Report a flooded or blocked drain

• gullies reported with missing/broken grates that are causing a danger to the public will be made safe as a matter of urgency and dealt with as soon as possible
• gullies with broken grates that are not causing a danger to the public will be added to our programme for maintenance of non-urgent works

Main drainage systems are the responsibility of Thames Water Utilities Limited 

 

Drains

Highway drains are metal slotted grids that are found next to the kerb and drain water that collects on the public highway. They are also known as gullies. Sometimes these gullies are embedded in the kerb forming a metal box within the kerbstone.

 

Watercourses

Watercourses include rivers, streams, ditches, drains, cuts, culverts (piped sections), dikes, sluices and passages through which water flows.

Redbridge Council have permissive rights under the Land Drainage Act 1999 to ensure watercourses in its area are properly maintained irrespective of ownership.

Our main permissive rights are:

• to ensure all watercourses in its area are maintained to a standard that allows water to flow through them freely
• to inspect all works carried out to or within three metres of a watercourse regardless of its ownership status and insist on any changes needed to protect both upstream and downstream users

Land drainage approval must be applied for if any of the following conditions apply to any works you wish to carry out:

• works that will affect or add flow to any open or piped watercourse
• works to the embankments, ditch bottom or any part of a piped watercourse
• works within 3 metres of any open or piped watercourse
• works to connect new pipes or watercourses to an existing open or piped watercourse

Redbridge does not have a land drainage application form but any formal application for Land Drainage approval should contain:

• a letter giving location and detailing the proposals
• a location plan
• a plan showing the details of the proposed works

If you wish to discuss Land Drainage in more detail please email highways.general@redbridge.gov.uk