Autumn is underway and at this time of year we face the task of clearing leaves from our 26,000 street trees – which is why Ealing Council’s street-sweeping teams will be tackling the seasonal increase by ensuring that roads and pavements around important public places are as safe as possible for residents.
The council has reviewed the locations where leaf fall is at its heaviest and will target these areas for a period of up to 12 weeks. Street-sweeping teams will prioritise the clear-up of fallen leaves in areas outside schools, hospitals and day centres where the borough’s most vulnerable residents may be walking.
This will be followed by shopping areas and public transport stations, then steep hills with slippery surfaces, and then other streets where heavy leaf fall could block drains and create a flood risk.
In addition, normal scheduled cleansing of streets will still be carried out with extra mobile teams and staff, some with leaf blowers, so that other reported leafy streets can be identified for cleaning as quickly as possible.
Councillor Mik Sabiers, cabinet member for environment and highways said: “Ealing is rightly recognised as one of the greenest, most attractive boroughs in the capital with tree-lined streets and beautiful parks. This means we often get a high volume of fallen leaves at this time of year.
“Fallen leaves can become slippery in wet weather. The extra resources mean we can get to the problem areas quicker and respond to locations identified as a priority. We will be concentrating on keeping residents safe this autumn by tackling the high traffic areas, schools and places visited by some of our most vulnerable residents.”
Residents can also request emergency clearances in areas that have become congested and slippery through the build-up of leaves or the possibility of flooding by calling 02088256000, the area will be inspected, and leaf clearance will be prioritised if necessary.
Residents can use the Love Clean Streets app, accessed through Ealing Council’s MyAccount portal, or through your normal app provider to report a non-urgent streets for litter collection or leaf clearance. Just log the road in question under the app, using the Street Cleansing General category.
Once again, the council is welcoming contributions from local volunteers. More than 250 residents requested community sacks last year to fill up with leaves from the borough’s streets, either working alone or teaming up with neighbours. Residents can apply for community sacks via the Do Something Good website. Anyone using the link for ordering sacks can also let the council know when they are finished, and they will be removed as soon as possible. These are for street cleansing only and not household items.
