Council accused of ‘utter negligence’ in failing to clear up roadside rubbish

Carl Nash, 59, from Warminster, has written to Terence Herbert, the council’s chief executive, urging him to take action.

It costs Wiltshire Council £100,000 every time it has to send out a team to clear away rubbish from the side of the county’s major A roads.

Rubbish alongside the A36. Photo: Trevor Porter 69735-6 (Image: Trevor Porter)

Now the council is urging litter lout drivers to take their rubbish home – and is warning community litter pickers not to clear rubbish alongside busy roads.

Mr Nash, of Pound Street, said: “The amount of litter seen at the side of so many of our roads is an absolute disgrace.  That this is linked to verge cutting (exposure of litter which is then just left) is infuriating.

“I have now been complaining to Wiltshire Council (previously West Wiltshire District Council) for around 20 years about the lack of care regarding litter clearance.

“It seems to be utter negligence on the part of Wiltshire Council, who claim to carry out services using our Council Tax, yet this particular issue appears to be a tick box exercise.

“This is a stunning part of the country that boasts a wealth of beautiful features which should attract tourists from far and wide. 

“How on earth can we expect to proudly show off our county and its many assets and to encourage badly-needed tourism when litter is strewn alongside so many of our highways?

“It contributes to the decline of our wildlife through ingestion. In addition, litter appears to be symptomatic of the social decline of this country, with little or no pride in the countryside or the environment in which we live.  

“Litter needs to be cleared up.  And it’s all very well having fines, but they need to be acted upon. How many people in Wiltshire have actually been fined for dropping litter?

“It is scandalous that this problem is allowed to go on.” 

Rubbish left alongside the A36 near Warminster. Photo: Trevor Porter 69735-2 (Image: Trevor Porter)

Wiltshire Council has a statutory duty to collect litter along busy roads such as the A36 and A303 managed by National Highways.

To collect litter on these roads, Wiltshire Council needs to seek permission from National Highways and put measures in place to minimise disruption to road users.

Sometimes, this may require traffic management such as stop/go signalling or even full lane closures to keep teams safe, it says.

Cllr Caroline Thomas, Cabinet Member for Street Scene, said: “We work closely with partners such as National Highways and town councils to ensure safe and efficient litter collection throughout the county, and on the A36 our litter picking work will begin in April.

“Of course, if people didn’t litter our county, we wouldn’t need to collect anything – but unfortunately, there are people who just don’t seem to care about their community or the environment.

“It costs us £100,000 each time to collect litter on trunk roads; this is money that we could be spending on essential services for our communities.

“In our Business Plan we have committed to take responsibility for the environment, and we’d urge everyone to dispose of litter properly – it’s easy for drivers to just take it home with them and then put it in the bin. Anyone who spots litter can report it to us using the MyWilts app.”

Rubbish alongside the A36. Photo: Trevor Porter 69735-3 (Image: Trevor Porter)

National Highways Route Manager, Stephen Warren, said: “We do work closely with councils to help their litter operatives best utilise any traffic management we have in place.

“This allows them to safely go onto the road while vehicles are travelling at a reduced speed.”