An enormous 500 tonnes of fallen leaves will be collected by the city council from Wolverhampton's pavements, roads and open spaces over the autumn.

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500 tonnes is the equivalent weight of 45 double decker buses, to put the figure in context.

Every autumn, the council undertakes a programme of leaf collection across the city to keep the environment looking tidy.

Thousands of trees line the city's roads, parks and open spaces and if the leaves fall on public land, it is the responsibility of the city council to remove them. Leaves that fall on private property are the responsibility of the landowner to remove.

As well as keeping the city looking clean and tidy, getting rid of fallen leaves also helps to keep drains and gullies clear and reduces the risk of people slipping on wet leaves.

Council crews target sites that are known problem areas for large accumulations of leaves. Data from past years helps to inform these decisions.

Councillor John Reynolds, cabinet member for city services, said: "The fact we remove a whopping 500 tonnes of leaves each autumn is a testament to just how green our city is with thousands of trees lining our streets, parks and open spaces.

"It is quite a task removing such a vast quantity of leaves from public land. We know which areas are hotspots for heavy leaf fall based on the experience of past years. We can therefore target our crews where they are most needed.

"We will remove heavy leaf accumulations on public land, but if the leaves have fallen on private property then it is the responsibility of the landowner."

  • released: Wednesday 19 November, 2014