Work ongoing to clear Cotswolds road of fallen trees following Storm Darragh

The A436 is only open for residents to gain access.

The storm brought trees down across the county including here in Stroud.
Author: Lauren JonesPublished 16th Dec 2024

Progress is being made in a bid to clear the A436 near Bourton-on-the-Water after a cluster of over 50 trees came down during Storm Darragh over the weekend of 7-8 December 2024.

Highways teams have been working hard alongside their contractor ever since to clear the debris and reopen the road as quickly as possible.

Thanks to these efforts residents can now get out of their properties and are being provided with access while the road is closed to the wider public. However, due to the number of fallen trees and their size, it is expected to take at least a week before the road can be reopened.

The A436 is closed between Notgrove and the A429 at Whiteshoots Hill with a diversion route in place using the A40 and A429.

Jason Humm, Director of Highways and Transport for Gloucestershire County Council, said: "The situation on the A436 is unprecedented and anyone who has watched the drone footage can see that. We're working hard to clear the road as quickly as possible of the 50 or more trees that have come down.

“These trees are enormous, so this process will take up to a week. Residents that have been impacted have been offered support and help with essentials. In terms of the long-term safety – we will be undertaking checks on the rest of the trees and will provide regular updates.

"These trees are in private ownership, but the landowner is working closely with us. We appreciate everyone’s patience whilst the road is closed.”

Hear all the latest news from across the UK on the hour, every hour, on Greatest Hits Radio on DAB, smartspeaker, at greatesthitsradio.co.uk, and on the Rayo app.