Westmorland and Furness Council says it is determined to tackle the issue of ‘unacceptable’ amounts of litter along the verges of the A590 approaching Barrow.
The matter was raised by concerned councillors at a recent meeting of the council’s Cabinet and Councillor Giles Archibald, Cabinet member for Climate, Biodiversity and Environmental Services, has pledged that the council will do all it can to address the root causes of the problem.
The stretch of the A590 as it bypasses Dalton-in-Furness has been highlighted as a particular area of concern. This stretch of road belongs to National Highways and the council is coordinating with National Highways on options for traffic management and lane closures to safely allow verge litter-picks.
Councillor Archibald said: “We are very concerned about the unacceptable amounts of litter on the stretch of the A590 near Dalton-in-Furness.
“Not only is litter on the roadside unsightly, it can have a significant impacts on the environment and wildlife and can be a safety hazard for drivers if materials blow into the carriageway.
“We are working with National Highways to tackle the issues in this area. As it is a main road, there will be requirement for lane closures to ensure the safety of litter-pickers and we recognise any closures on such a busy stretch of road will cause disruption. Where possible we will always try to co-ordinate litter picking activities with National Highways maintenance work to reduce the number of those disruptions.’’
Councillor Archibald said that as well as looking to clean-up the litter already on the verges, the council is determined to tackle the root causes of the problem and would be targeting those dropping the litter.
He continued: “Some of the litter has clearly been discarded by inconsiderate motorists as they are driving along the A590.
“But we also believe that, from looking at the volume and nature of the litter, a large proportion of the materials on the A590 verges are likely to have come from unsecured loads, blowing from the back of vans and lorries travelling along the road.
“We will be working with hauliers and commercial waste operators to remind them of their legal obligations and duty of care to ensure their loads are secure.
“Clearing up the mess left behind by other people costs taxpayers a lot of money to clean-up and, in this case, that clean-up will likely result in some inconvenience to road users if we have to close lanes to keep litter-pickers safe.
“We are determined to tackle the root causes of the littering and prevent it happening in the first place and we will be working with the businesses to ensure no repetition.’’
The council has legal powers to take enforcement action and impose fines if it has evidence that littering has occurred through deliberate act or failing to take the correct precautions to secure vehicle loads.
Roadside littering is a national problem.
Recent research by the National Highways reveals that 65% of drivers who admit to littering have discarded food and drink waste on the roadside.
The council supports anti-littering campaigns such as the Great British Spring Clean and nationwide communication campaigns to urge drivers and passengers to play their part in keeping the country’s roads clean, protecting the environment, wildlife and overall safety of road users. The messages aim to influence driver and passenger behaviour to dispose of litter responsibly.
The council is encouraging people to take responsibility for their litter and also to take action if they see someone else dropping litter.
Councillor Archibald said: “People should dispose of their litter responsibly, either by using an appropriate waste bin or, if one isn’t available, taking your litter home and putting it in the bin there.
“We would also ask that, if you see a vehicle with an unsecured load dropping waste and litter as it is driving along, report it and provide us with information so that we can investigate and take enforcement action if necessary.’’
You can report littering using an online form on this website or, if you are in the Barrow area, by contacting the Streetcare Team on 01229 876543.