As autumn sweeps through the city, Derby City Council’s street cleaning teams are working tirelessly to keep streets, paths and drains clear of fallen leaves. Every day the teams are out across the city removing leaves to ensure public spaces remain safe, accessible and looking their best.
Autumn marks one of the busiest times of year for the teams, the seasonal change brings a significant increase in the volume of leaves collected, and while teams are out every day tackling known hotspots, it’s not always possible to clear every area straight away.
Daily clean-up efforts
The teams are deployed daily to priority areas where leaves may cause safety issues, such as near drains, on footpaths and in high-traffic zones. Additional staff and equipment are brought in during peak periods to help manage the seasonal demand.
Why it takes time
Weather has a big impact on how quickly leaves fall and build up. Wind, rain and sudden temperature drops can result in large amounts of leaves appearing overnight. Our crews work systematically, but clearing leaves is often a repeated job in the same location over several days - especially when wet weather continues.
How residents can help
Residents are encouraged to do their part by keeping garden paths and driveways clean and disposing of the leaves in their brown garden waste bin. Anyone who spots a location that needs attention, can report it to the team using the form on the street cleaning webpage.
Councillor Ndukwe Onuoha, Cabinet Member for Streetpride, Parks and Leisure, said:
Our Streetpride crews do an incredible job throughout the year, and autumn is one of their busiest times. Clearing leaves is hard, ongoing work that helps keep our streets safe and pleasant for everyone. I’d like to thank residents for their patience and for doing their bit to help Derby look its best.
For more information about all street cleaning services, visit our street care and cleaning pages.