Autumn is upon us and, in the days to come, we can all expect crisper days, shorter nights and beautiful foliage across the borough’s parks and gardens, and council teams out and about sweeping leaves.
This time of year brings plenty of falling leaves with it – which is why sweeping teams are taking to the streets to tackle the seasonal increase by ensuring that roads and pavements around important public places are as safe as possible for residents.
Because Ealing is a green and leafy borough in the spring and summer, it inevitably gets a high volume of fallen leaves in the autumn, which – when wet – could cause a slip or a fall.
Leaf clear-up
Greener Ealing (GEL), Ealing Council’s in-house waste, recycling and grounds maintenance service, is prioritising the clear-up of the leaves. The leaf clear-up will make key public places safer, starting with areas outside schools, hospitals and day centres where the borough’s most vulnerable residents may be walking, before moving on to shopping areas and train stations.
The street sweepers will also be clearing steep hills and streets identified as having the heaviest leaf fall, and anywhere that leaves are thought to pose a risk of causing roads to flood.
An extra 38 sweepers are on-hand to help the crews working across the borough during the leaf fall period, which can last up to three months depending on the weather.
Free from slip hazards
Councillor Deirdre Costigan, the council’s cabinet member for climate action, said: “Ealing is well-known for being leafy and green which is fantastic all year round, but can cause a bit of a nuisance for some people come the autumn. This is why we have dedicated teams working hard to keep the borough’s streets clean and free from slip hazards.”
Residents can also request a ‘spot clearance’ in an area that might have become congested and slippery through the build-up of leaves or the possibility of flooding. To request a spot clearance, you can call 020 8825 6000.
To coincide with the leaf fall, residents are being reminded that the council offers a fortnightly chargeable garden waste collection service. Visit the council’s website for further details.
Weeding programme
Prior to leafing season, GEL operates a weeding programme, which runs from March to September.
The weeds are treated with an environmentally friendly spray, and it is not harmful to animals. The spray has to be applied in suitable weather conditions to give it the best chance of working. On occasions, the application had to be suspended because of heavy rainfall, undoing some of the hard work. However, the programme for this year is now complete.
Local people can also request cleansing equipment to carryout leaf clearances on their own road via the council’s website.
