Drivers in Cornwall urged not to drop litter on roads over Easter holidays
Around 3.8 tonnes of rubbish and debris has been collected from the Duchy's A30 so far this year
An appeal is going out to drivers in Cornwall urging them not to drop litter on roads over the Easter holidays.
Litter on the majority of A roads in the region is the responsibility of local authorities to clear, but in order that it can be collected safely National Highways often teams up with councils to co-ordinate any necessary closures.
They say reducing the amount of roadside litter not only improves the lives of both communities and motorists, but that it also has positive safety and environmental benefits and also provides a significant saving to local authorities in terms of time and money spent on clearing rubbish from the roadsides.
Now, with the Easter school holidays under way and the summer holidays looming, National Highways is calling on drivers to do their bit to reduce litter levels following the completion of a big regional effort during the Great British Spring Clean .
Julian Strong, South West Service Manager for National Highways, said: “Littering is a social problem across the country and our priority, working closely with our partners, is to keep our roads safe and well maintained for drivers and neighbouring communities.
“Litter is a huge issue that we’re tackling daily. We value Keep Britain Tidy’s commitment to eliminating litter, as well as their partnership in our efforts to keep litter off our roads.
“The simple fact is that if litter wasn’t dropped in the first place it wouldn’t need to be picked up. So, this is an opportunity to remind people that they too can make a difference simply by saving litter for the bin.
“Roadside litter is not just unsightly but it’s a threat to wildlife and the environment and it can also be a safety hazard for drivers, can block drains and picking it up puts roadworkers at risk.
“Litter collections on our A roads are the responsibility of local authorities and hopefully we can get the message across that litter not only impacts people’s lives but also has a significant economic impact for our councils across the region.”
Local authorities, including smaller funded district and city councils, are still reporting a staggering amount of litter being cleared around their roads, a real financial burden for councils across the region.
Cornwall Council is currently midway through its spring cleanse of the A30 and has already collected around 3.8 tonnes of litter and debris this year.
The council collected 20 tonnes of rubbish from all of its A-roads in 2021, and Carol Mould, portfolio holder for Neighbourhoods at Cornwall Council, said: “One of our priorities is to promote and achieve a great environment for all.
"Cornwall is beautiful and we must all strive to keep it that way. There is no excuse for throwing litter on the side of the road, not only does it cost a lot of money to clean up, it can also pose a danger to other road users and can harm wildlife. Please take your litter home with you or dispose of it responsibly to help keep Cornwall clean.”
National Highways, via its contractors, collected well over 1,000 bags of litter from its A roads in the South West during last month – 232 bags of litter from the verges of the A419 between Swindon and Cirencester in March, and a total of 4.4 tonnes of rubbish and debris along the A30 and A35 in Devon and Dorset.
Reporting a maintenance issue to National Highways can be done online or by calling 0300 123 5000.