Road sweeping schedule

City Centre Sweeping:

Daily sweeping of roads and footpaths.

Castle Ward:

Swept on a rotating estate-by-estate basis when City Centre tasks are completed.

Arterial Roads (Southway, Westway, Balkerne Hill, etc.):

Swept bi-weekly by a V65 sweeper.

Tuesdays & Thursdays:

City Centre sweeper to sweep traffic islands. The sweeper will return to sweeping roads and footpaths within the Castle Ward boundary once conditions become too hazardous to sweep the traffic islands.

Remaining Wards:

Sweeping Season: February - September, this can fluctuate depending on conditions.

Target: Sweep 4 wards per month, each ward swept twice annually. Borough swept every 16 weeks.

Operational Priorities

Main Arterial Roads: Early-morning sweeping for safety and effectiveness.

Targeted support for Essex County Council's gully cleansing operations.

Housing Estates: Focused on footpaths and key roads.

Data gathered by drivers will inform ongoing scheduling efficiency.

Team Deployment

Week 1: V65 sweeps main roads; compact sweeper covers footpaths.

Week 2: V65 follows compact sweeper's route through estates.

Colchester City Council Road Sweeping Forecast 2025

The road sweeping rota will be suspended from Friday 17th October 2025 and will commence again on Monday 2nd February 2026.

Please Note:

Autumn Leafing Focus:
October - January: Specific areas of high leaf fall within the following wards: Highwoods, Lexden, Dedham, Mersea Island and St Annes and St John's, will be the priority.

While operational focus will be directed towards areas with higher tree density from the specified areas and dates named above, our team remains fully committed to responding to service requests from both Residents and Councillors across all wards. This approach ensures equitable and consistent delivery of street cleansing services throughout the borough.

Colchester City Council Road Sweeping Forecast 2026

While every effort is made to adhere to the published timetable, unforeseen circumstances may occasionally impact our ability to maintain the schedule. We appreciate your understanding and patience in such instances.