Witney News - Autumn leaves composted

Autumn leaves composted

Each year in West Oxfordshire around 350 tonnes of fallen autumn leaves are collected by the District Council and recycled for compost.

Starting this week for a 12-week period, the Council will be clearing leaves from footpaths and streets, concentrating on the worst affected areas in the District. The leaves are cleared to help maintain a clean and safe environment during the winter months.

Cllr David Harvey, Cabinet Member for Environment said, “Collecting fallen leaves each year is a huge task for our street cleaning team, but it is essential this is done, otherwise leaves collect in gutters and drains and can lead to problems with flooding, or on pavements and can cause a hazard for pedestrians.”

Two mechanical vehicles, operated by trained staff, are used. One machine will be based in Witney covering the south of the District and the second in Chipping Norton covering the north.

To report significant accumulations of fallen leaves on footpaths or other public areas, residents should contact the Council on 01993 861020 or online at www.westoxon.gov.uk. The Council does not collect leaves from private or commercial properties.

The collected leaves are sent off to be composted locally. The payment received for this offsets the cost of the service.