Three tonnes of litter was cleared from the verges of a two mile stretch along the A27 earlier this month, according to Brighton & Hove City Council’s website. The waste consisted of pallets, polystyrene, coffee cups, vehicle parts, food packaging, and tyres.
The council said they have now cleared the full Brighton & Hove section of the A27, and are planning another litter pick up for the autumn.
Councillor Anne Pissaridou, chair of the Environment, Transport & Sustainability committee said:
“The lighter traffic on the A27 this month gave us an ideal opportunity to organise a clean-up of the verges in the daytime.
“This made it a far easier task to set up and without the usual complications and costs.”
She emphasised the amount of rubbish cleared in a short period:
“Removing three tonnes of rubbish is a staggering amount for two miles of road previously cleared in spring last year.”
Cllr Pissaridou also warned of the potential dangers rubbish can pose for the environment:
“Keeping verges clean and litter free is everyone’s responsibility. As well as being an eyesore, litter on the roads endangers wildlife and pollutes the water table and, subsequently, the sea.
“Please take all your rubbish home and make sure any loads on your vehicles are secured.”
The council is also supporting a community campaign calling on Highways England to take over the responsibility of clearing litter from the A27. This is due to the fact that the A27, being a trunk road, is owned by Highways England, however they are only responsible for strimming the grass and cutting back vegetation.
The litter pick up from the verges is left to the council, and this process includes liaising with Highways England about other maintenance work so that litter pick ups can happen at the same time to ensure the road is quiet. While this hasn’t been such an issue this year thanks to the lockdown, the council says it will continue to be one once life returns to a more normal state – unless Highways England takes over.
The main reason for wanting to pass over the work is to save the council a lot of time and money, as the current system is expensive and can lead to large areas not being cleared of litter for long periods of time.
To learn more, visit the council’s website.
