Annual Gutter Cleaning

Funding property maintenance days focussing on gutter clearance and vegetation removal

Many properties in Wisbech town centre are in poor condition. One area of particular concern identified by conservation officers is the amount of vegetation growing in gutters throughout the town centre and the significant negative impact this is having on the condition of buildings. The cleaning of gutters and parapets is one crucial aspect of ensuring that buildings are better maintained.

The High Street project will use available resources to tackle some of the problems of damaging vegetation and offer a free gutter clean service each year to High Street properties to encourage good maintenance practice.

Gutter Clean Day 2017

As part of the Heritage Lottery Funded Wisbech High Street Project funded an activity to help clean gutters/parapets on buildings along the High Street.

We held event on Thursday 23rd November 2017 where, with owners permission, we accessed the front High Street buildings and remove growth, vegetation and obstructions from gullies, gutters, hoppers, downpipes etc. The work was undertaken by a local professional contractor who accessed the buildings with a “cherry picker”.

There was great support for the event from Wisbech Town Council, the Wisbech Society and Street Pride and there was a Conservation Officer from FDC available on the day to address questions building owners may have as well as to offer practical advice about taking care of their buildings. There was a small team of project volunteers helping out to ensure everything ran smoothly as we moved along the High Street.

There was no charge to property owners or tenants for this maintenance work which we hope to undertake again each year during the remaining 3 years of the project.

The “High Street Gutter Clean Day” tied into the Society for the Protection of Ancient Buildings (SPAB) maintenance week which ran between Friday 17th-Friday 24th November 2017. This is an annual event which aims to promote good maintenance practice and provide advice and information about the importance of keeping gutters and parapets clear. For more information see SPABs website (www.spab.org.uk).