Council says 67,000 gullies cleaned since April

The number of crews has doubled from six to 12

A council has said nearly 70,000 gullies have been cleaned across Oxfordshire since April.

The county council is aiming to clean all of them in the county in 12 months, which means nearly 145,000 highway gullies and manholes by the end of March.

The local authority said the number of crews had doubled from six to 12 to meet the "ambitious" target.

Cabinet member for transport Andrew Gant said the operation would make "a big difference" to communities in the face of extreme weather.

Crews are working two different shifts to maximise the efficiency of tankers and make use of quieter roads in some locations during the evenings.

The process involves silt being removed using suction pipes and cleaning with high pressure water jets.

The council said it previously cleaned drains every four years, with the exception of those in high risk areas of flooding and on high-speed roads.

It added the £2.6m programme was taking place after an additional £1.5m investment for highway drainage was approved in its 2025-26 budget.

The council said no drainage system was designed to cope with extreme rainfall, which Oxfordshire experienced in September 2024.

Motorists have been asked to make sure their vehicles are not blocking access to drains when works are due to take place

The council said about 2,500 drainage gullies had been unable to be cleaned so far because of vehicles blocking them.

It added that despite the tankers operating on a schedule, teams would react to urgent incidents of blockages or flooding.

Residents can report blocked drains and gullies through Fix My Street.