Wiltshire Council putting £1 million into gully emptying

Wiltshire Council is investing £1 million over the next three years on new machinery to help empty gullies and reduce the risk of flooding across the county.

The council hopes that the investment will help its highways teams focus on problem areas that are more at risk of flooding.

Cllr Caroline Thomas, Cabinet Member for Transport, said:

“Flooding on our highways can create dangerous driving conditions and cause localised issues, and that’s why we’re investing this extra £1m over three years to tackle problems when they occur.

“We are responsible for more than 4,000km of road and over 85,000 gullies throughout the county, and so we usually focus on main roads and empty these gullies once a year, with other gullies cleared and emptied every three years.

“We’re already putting this new kit to good use, with more than 1,000 extra gullies emptied and 120 tonnes of debris removed since October 2022 – and this important work is currently funded to continue until the end of March 2025.

To report flooding or block gullies, people can go to www.wiltshire.gov.uk/mywilts or call 0300 456 0100.

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