Roads - flooding - gullies and ditches

Roads have features which are designed to take surface water that runs off from the public highway, for example gullies, channels and ditches. Exceptional rainfall, water running off from adjacent land or rising river levels can cause roads to flood even when the drainage is in good working order.

We organise the cyclic cleaning of gullies that drain the highways. Gullies are scheduled to be cleaned out once a year (more frequently if the need arises on a reactive basis).

Highway drainage problems are identified by the regular inspections of the network, or as a result of specific enquiries from the members of the public, council members or the emergency services.

Drainage ditches adjoining private lands are usually the responsibility of the land owner to maintain. Under their riparian responsibilities (If you own land or property adjoining a river or other watercourse; such as a brook, beck or mill stream, you are considered a 'riparian owner') landowners should ensure that ditches and watercourses are properly maintained in order to reduce the risk of flooding. The Highway Authority does have the right to discharge water from the public highway into adjacent ditches and watercourses without an obligation to maintain them.