It is very good news to hear that the County Council will be changing their policy on county-wide gully clearing.

A decision to clear gullies only once a year was introduced by the County Council in 1998 as a cost saving exercise. However the County Council's select committee says that this decision has proved to be a 'false economy' and this decision has now  been overturned. Gullies will now be cleaned in the Spring and Autumn.

Blocked gullies which prevented a freeflow of rainwater was considered to be a large contributary factor to the flooding in Southwell and other places during the exceptional rainfall in June and July 2007.

Southwell residents have been very helpful in identifying gullies which are blocked or which overflow even in relatively short but severe rainfalls. A map of the town with these gullies marked has now been removed from the Bramley Centre and the Chairman of the Town Council Planning Committee will be presenting it to the Chairman of Nottinghamshire County Council's Environmental Services so that there is a record of problem areas.