Island Roads has begun an intensive period of street cleansing aimed at removing autumn leaves from the highway.
Over the next 10 weeks, additional mechanical sweepers and extra shifts will be used to remove tonnes of leaves from the network ahead of winter. Areas with known high leaf fall will be targeted in particular.
The leaves themselves – and also additional material collected during the sweeping – will be sorted and recycled.
Dave Wallis, Island Roads’ operations and maintenance manager said:
“It is important we do all we can to remove leaves from the road and footway network.
“Not only can leaves become slippery to cars and pedestrians if left uncollected, heavy leaf-fall can also obscure road markings and compromise the highway drainage system
“Fortunately, we know roughly when and where leaf-fall has been an issue and we will focus our efforts on these areas during the coming ten weeks.”
Upon collection, the leaves are taken to Island Roads’s depot at Stag Lane. The leaf pile is then drained and released water captured and filtered before being discharged back into the sewer system.
The leaf litter in then sorted so material such as sand and grit can be reused as building materials. The leaf pile itself is then used for compost and soil.
Dave said:
“Around 95% of material gathered during the leaf sweeping and collection is recycled in some form.
“This is very much in line with our aim of providing the Island’s road maintenance service in the most efficient and environmentally-friendly way we can.”
The work has been welcomed by Cllr Phil Jordan, IW Council cabinet member for transport and infrastructure.
He said:
“I’m very pleased to support the approach Island Roads are taking to manage the annual autumn fall of leaves on the Island.
“We know they can be dangerous and hazardous as we move into winter weather and darker nights and so the plan is very welcome.
“I’m impressed by their commitment to our climate change policies and to environmental sustainability and I know our communities will benefit greatly from the work Island Roads are carrying out.”
It would help if Island Roads cleared the grass cuttings from the gulleys when they cut the verges
That would mean doing a complete job – not IR’s trademark.
I’ve never thought about just what happens to all the tonnes of leaves that Island Roads collect? That is very impressive, all that sorting out even down to the grit and water being treated. Well-done to the Island Roads department.
Why is Island Roads doing their job news?
Or if it’s the first time they are recycling like this, why not say that, and tell us what you used to do with them.
Does ‘intensive’ mean only one bloke stood by, leaning on a broom, rather than 3 or 4?
I see they don’t spray the weeds any more on the curbs .had to do outside my house myself with roundup.
Isn’t it illegal to be doing things to the highways & byways that are there for everyone to use? Plantlife has supposedly been working with local councils and Island Roads to discourage cutting verges and weed killing wild plants, in efforts to help our much beleaguered and endangered by humans environment. I can see they have a job on their hands and maybe should be doing more to re educate the public on the need to allow wild plants to remain in certain places. I like to see them along the curbs, rather than horrible depressing grey concrete and slabs everywhere.
“street cleansing” to IR appears to mean blowing rubbish from one side of the pavement to the other, so that it can blow all over the pavement all over again. Broom/shovel/bag is what’s needed.
Good idea, but they should be doing it often in autumn winter, many leaves off the trees need to fall yet, with they be doing then
Gone are the days when we could happily walk along scuffing through fallen leaves. All innocent pleasures have to be taken from us it seems.
Was fun until a dog heap was camoflaged into the Autumn coloured leaves with great skill by the dog.
If the bloke in the picture was to move his arm you would see the missing letter ‘T’.
Oh no not the leaves, they are a major problem, unlike all the potholes, roads that are falling apart, unsafe pavements, stupidly placed bollards. Just fix the roads, don’t waste time sweeping up a load of leaves that will just decay naturally anyway.