Work is being stepped up to make sure every highway drainage gully in Oxfordshire is cleaned and emptied this year. In April, Oxfordshire County Council began its enhanced programme to clean nearly 145,000 highway gullies and manholes by the end of March 2026. By the end of October, 67,000 gullies had been emptied.
The £2.6 million programme is taking place after an additional £1.5m investment to improve highway drainage was approved in the council’s 2025 – 26 budget. The programme is being delivered by the council’s highways contractor M Group and specialist operator Drainline.
To meet the ambitious target of cleaning every gully in the county in 12 months, the number of crews has doubled from six to 12, working two different shifts to maximise the efficiency of the gully tankers and make use of quieter roads in some locations during the evenings.
Silt is removed from the drains using suction pipes and then they are cleaned with high pressure jets of water. Some have required digging out by hand where a lot of silt has accumulated.
Drain cleaning was previously carried out on a four-year cycle, although high priority drains – such as those in areas most at risk of flooding and on high-speed roads – were cleaned more regularly.
Councillor Andrew Gant, Oxfordshire County Council’s Cabinet Member for Transport Management, said:
“We recognised the need to improve drainage, especially following the flooding in the county last year caused by exceptionally wet weather.
“I’m pleased that, with the additional crews, we are on schedule to complete this ambitious drainage improvement programme. It is a huge task but one that will make a big difference to our communities as extreme weather becomes more frequent.”
The funding is being used to empty gullies, carry out improved drainage management, and repair the infrastructure connecting the gullies to the outlets. Improving drainage also helps protect roads by getting water off the surfaces, reducing the risk of potholes forming during freezing weather.
While gully clearing is important in reducing surface water, no drainage system is designed to cope with instances of extreme rainfall like Oxfordshire experienced in September 2024, when a month’s worth of rain fell in just 36 hours.
Motorists are asked to make sure their vehicles are not blocking access to drains when the work is due to take place, and to take care when driving past gully emptying operations.
Around 2,500 drainage gullies were unable to be cleaned when visited so far this year because they were blocked by vehicles. Drivers are asked to lookout for signs letting them know when work is taking place.
Richard Lovewell, M Group Business Director, said:
“In October alone, 17,000 drains were cleansed. That’s more than 10 per cent of the county’s total, thanks to huge efforts from all involved. We’re proud to be working with Oxfordshire County Council and Drainline to deliver this vital programme.
“We’re also grateful to residents who move their vehicles to help our teams access the drains, meaning we can clean more drains more quickly. This simple action makes a big difference.”
(Picture: Oxfordshire County Council)
