Highways England has joined forces with local councils
to tackle unsightly and hazardous litter on some of the country’s
busiest roads.
The Government company, which is responsible for operating,
maintaining and improving the country’s motorways and major A
roads, has pumped £80,000 into an initiative to help keep
counties in the South West beautiful.
Councils are responsible for clearing litter from the majority of
A roads, and after local authorities in the South West identified
the worst littered laybys in their areas, Highways England has
installed bins and ‘keep it tidy’ signs in 14 laybys, to
encourage drivers not to litter.
The scheme follows the installation of layby signage along the
A30 and A38 in Devon and Cornwall last year, and the initiative
is not only targeted at reducing the amount of roadside litter,
and improving the lives of both communities and motorists, but it
is also aimed at providing a time and cost saving for local
authorities.
Chris Regan, South West Head of Service Delivery for Highways
England, said:
Litter is unsightly and a threat to wildlife and the
environment.
It’s a safety hazard for drivers and roadworkers risk their
lives collecting it. That’s besides the cost which would be
better spent on maintaining our roads.
We’re hoping this layby work will make a difference, for both
communities and our local authority partners. And our advice to
drivers is clear: please use the bins, heed the signage, and
don’t drop litter. Keep a bag in your car to store litter until
you can dispose of it responsibly.
The partnership with Wiltshire, South Gloucestershire, Bath &
North East Somerset, Tewkesbury Borough, Gloucester City and
Forest of Dean Councils is tackling litter along the A36, A303,
A46, A4 and A40.
Councillor Bridget Wayman, Wiltshire Council Cabinet Member for
Highways, said:
We are pleased this initiative to reduce litter on Wiltshire’s
major roads has been completed and we look forward to seeing
the impact these bins and signs have, as lockdown eases and
people start to travel more.
Wiltshire is a beautiful county and we are committed to keeping
it that way, so please, use these bins and help to keep our
laybys litter free.
Councillor Steve Reade, South Gloucestershire Council Cabinet
Member for Planning, Transport and the Strategic Environment,
said: “We share our residents’ desire to see the South
Gloucestershire countryside looking green and its streets clean,
and we know that overwhelmingly people do the right thing when we
make it easier for them.
This Highways England investment is most welcome as it further
demonstrates that keeping our world clean and tidy is something
we all need to play our part in. There can be no excuse for
littering on the roadside, or anywhere else, as the financial
cost to us as a council and the environmental cost to everyone
is simply too high.
The scheme includes the following hot spots:
- A303: Longbarrow eastbound; Berwick St James westbound and
eastbound
- A36: Berkley northbound; Crockerton northbound and
southbound; Cley Hill southbound
- A40: Highnam westbound; Birdwood eastbound, Longford
southbound; Churcham westbound
- A46: Bath northbound and southbound
- A4: Bath westbound
Around 200,000 bags of litter are collected from Highways
England’s motorways every year, figures have shown, and the
company will be taking part in Keep Britain Tidy’s Great British
September Clean (11-27 September) following the cancellation of
the Great British Spring Clean.
