Rubbish thrown into verges on some of the busiest main roads across North East Somerset is set to be picked up by Bath & North East Somerset Council as part of a six-week clean-up blitz.
More than 150 miles of verges on busy A and B roads will be covered by the council’s cleansing teams picking up litter thrown out of vehicles, starting this week.
Last year, crews collected more than 1,000 bags of unnecessary waste weighing in at 3.5 tonnes – the equivalent of a light goods vehicle.
Councillor Dave Wood, cabinet member for Neighbourhood Services, said: “Nothing frustrates me more than seeing tonnes of litter in our hedgerows and verges.
“I’m really pleased we are taking this very rural issue seriously and helping to keep our countryside beautiful.
“The end of the winter and the start of spring is the best time for our crews to do this work because the vegetation has grown back so they can see the litter buried in the hedgerows and verges.
“It costs the council up to £40,000, which is money that could be better spent if drivers were not so careless and actually bothered to take their rubbish home with them to either recycle it or put in their general waste bin.
“We are also looking at what we can do to stop people throwing litter out of cars and trucks in the first place, including how we can issue more £150 fixed penalty notices for littering.”
Litter picking schedule for 2020 (This may be subject to change depending on weather conditions)
- A37 – 10th and 11th February
- A368 12th and 13th February
- Globe Pennyquick (Whiteway Rd) to Haycombe Cemetary – 14th February
- A39 17th and 19th February
- B3116 Junction A39 to Keynsham – 20th and 21st February
- Woollard Lane & Chalton Road to Keynsham – 24th and 25th February
- Queen Charlton Lane – 24th and 25th February
- A367 – 26th and 27th February
- B3115 Tunley Road – 28th February
- B3130 Chew Magna to A37 Pensford – 2nd March
- B3114 Chew Magna to Border (by Sherborne Farm) – 3rd to 5th March
- B3355 Hallatrow to A362 – 6th March
- A362 Farrington – Old Mill Ind Estate – 9th March
- Stockwood Lane – 10th March
- Staunton Lane – 10th March
- A363 Wilts border to Bathford Roundabout – 11th March
- Brassknocker Hill – 12th March
- B3110 Hinton Charterhouse Road – 13th March
- Claverton Down Road – Brassknocker to the university – 12th March
- Lansdown Road to S.Glos border to Fonthill Road – 16th March
- Lansdown Lane – Lansdown Road to Beresford Gardens – 16th March
- A431 Kelston Road – 17th March
- A36 Lower Bristol Road Carers Centre to Three Lamps Junction – 18th March
- A4 Globe to Car Sales Saltford – 18th March