Flood guidance

Keeping gullies clear is important to ensure water can drain away.

Subject to access we aim to inspect all roadside gullies on a cyclical basis.

By working to the cycle the Council can work efficiently and ensure that every gulley gets visited as quickly as possible. Ad-hoc visits will delay the cycle and therefore Council is not currently accepting reports of blocked gullies except under emergency circumstances.

If a blocked gulley is putting your property at risk of flooding, please let us know and we will inspect and arrange for it to be cleared if necessary.

Don’t Trash Oldham: new gulley cleaning operation

Oldham Council is launching a new boroughwide gulley clearing operation.

The clean-up – part of our Don’t Trash Oldham campaign – will help water drain off our roads, preventing a build-up and cutting the risk of flooding to homes and properties.

The borough has more than 47,500 gullies so cleaning them all is a huge job and will take time. The council has hired an additional vehicle and reshaped our highways team so we can work more efficiently over the coming months.

The works start in Alexandra on 16 September 2024, on a priority basis.

Contact the gulley team

• Phone: 0161 770 4325 during working hours
• Phone: 0161 770 2222 for out-of-hours emergencies

If you own your home or rent from a private landlord, the homeowner is responsible for keeping these gullies within the curtilage of the property clean, including drains on unadopted roads.

Sandbags

Sandbags are not generally effective in preventing water from entering properties. The Council does not provide sandbags to property owners, occupants or