Work is well under way to help meet a pledge by council bosses in Dudley to clean an extra 7,500 gullies on residential roads.

Council bosses are expecting nearly 5,000 to have been cleaned by the end of March – with funding in place to complete the rest in the new financial year. The additional winter work is helping to reduce the risk of flash flooding during cold and wet snaps, while boosting Dudley Council’s pledge to make the borough cleaner and greener.

The authority currently prioritises highway drainage works based on a flood risk management approach, targeting hot spot areas across the borough in line with its responsibilities.

Over 10,000 gullies are cleaned each year including reactive works following requests from local residents. Councillor John Martin, Cabinet Member for Environmental Services and Highways, said:

"Residents have told us that gully cleaning is very important to them as it helps to keep the borough clean and green while reducing the risk of flooding to houses and businesses. We listened to people and responded by pledging to clean these additional 7,500 gullies during the winter months.

"The condition some of them were in justifies the work that we are doing, and we are pledging the funding to complete what we promised to do as soon as possible in the new financial year.”

People who have concerns about gullies on their street can contact Dudley Council Plus on 0300 555 2345 or email dudleycouncilplus@dudley.gov.uk