Five parishes in south Shropshire share two lengthsmen, who undertake duties such as grass strimming, drain clearing and traffic sign cleaning.
They are local residents with a detailed knowledge of every road, ditch, drain and stream. In particular, they know those most liable to flood during heavy rain and deal with them whenever the need occurs.
They also look out for major maintenance needs, which – while beyond their remit – they report to the highways department at the local authority. Since the service has been locally managed the local environment has improved, flooding has reduced and resident satisfaction has increased.
Read more about this in this document – ‘Taking on a providing local services – Case studies’’ – National Association for Local Council, January 2011