Ditches – A Quick Guide To Responsibilities
The Parish Council has noted there to be quite a lot of interest in Ditches and responsibilities on Social Media. It is hoped that you will find the following of use in understanding this topic.
| Q. | What is a ditch? |
| A. | A ditch is defined as a man-made feature which has been created in order to drain an area of land. Historically these were normally dug by a landowner at the edge of their field and the spoil deposited on their land, on which hedges grew over time |
| Q. | What are watercourses? |
| A. | Watercourses are natural features which drain the surrounding catchment and normally have some water flowing in it, typically rivers, streams etc. |
| Q. | Who is responsible for the maintenance of watercourses and ditches? |
| A. | It is generally the responsibility of the owners of the land on either bank. This means that they have both rights and responsibilities associated with the ditches, or other watercourses, flowing through or adjacent to their property. |