Dorset Council’s fight against roadside litter is continuing – with the annual spring clean of verges along some of the county’s busiest roads.
With vegetation being cut back, the removal of bushes, shrubs and long grass reveals the full extent of littering by drivers and verges quickly become a scruffy eyesore because of it.
Cllr Jill Haynes, Portfolio Holder for Customer and Community Services, said: “The volume of accumulated litter revealed by cutting back verges is always depressing, and it is incredibly frustrating that, despite our efforts, some roads become covered in litter again just weeks later, often leading to the assumption that litter picking hasn’t been done or that it won’t be done at all.
“Arranging litter picking on highspeed roads takes a great deal of planning to arrange the appropriate traffic management measures to keep our operatives safe and schedule for the least disruptive times for the travelling public. While we are working hard to ensure that litter picking activities take place as usual, some have been delayed due to challenges presented by the pandemic.
“While we have a duty to clear the litter from our roads, I would kindly ask people to remember that it is not the Council who produce this waste. A small number of anti-social motorists spoil these verges for everyone by littering from vehicles and clearing it up takes valuable council resources away from essential services, when drivers could easily take their waste home.”
The council’s waste team is working with countryside offices to ensure that litter picking is scheduled following the flailing of roadside verges – currently underway on the A37 between Dorchester and the county boundary.
Following this, litter picking is scheduled for the A338 Bournemouth Spur Road at the end of March while highways colleagues have a road closure in place for annual maintenance.
The A30 from Yeovil to Sherborne is scheduled for litter picking following it’s first cut back in the Spring, where a specialist traffic management contractor will be needed as it is a dual carriageway.
Overnight litter picking on the A31 from River Stour to the county boundary is scheduled for April, where a Highways England approved traffic management contractor will be used to ensure waste operatives’ safety on the trunk road.
Elsewhere in the county, Stapehill Road in Ferndown, the A354 Weymouth Relief Road, B3157 Granby Way, Blandford Bypass and Upton Bypass are monitored and inspected for litter, as well as having programmed litter picking throughout the year.
Cllr Haynes added: “We simply don’t have the resources to litter pick every verge in the council area, so we focus our attention on the busiest A roads, which need strict health and safety considerations. It’s the continued efforts of volunteers and community groups that keep our rural verges litter free. Thank you for your invaluable help.”
Dorset Council is supporting this year’s #LoveYourVerge campaign, which will see ‘pop-up’ signage on roadsides to celebrate local habitat and the biodiversity across Dorset, and encourage residents and visitors to value verges and other open spaces.
The campaign is a collaboration between the council’s Greenspace Service and Litter Free Dorset.
Residents can report litter problems, fly-tipping and rubbish being thrown from a vehicle online.
Thank you, perhaps a step in the right direction – however the litter must be picked up ahead of the verge cutting surely? After flailing or mowing the litter is chopped up and scattered about ; making it very unsightly and difficult to pick up by anyone. Cannot the team work together to do this – rather than separately?
I have been requesting this for many years. I also assist in local Litterfree Purbeck – Wareham Wombles and around Wareham Station…..
Thank you to all litterpickers..
Litterpicking on the A37 from Dorchester appears to have stopped at Wrackleford. When will it be continued North to the county border south of Yeovil?
The amount of litter on these verges is depressingly disgraceful and should be removed before the lifting of lockdown allows tourists back to our otherwise beautiful countryside.
There has been a shocking amount of litter on the verges of the A350 Blandford Bypass for many weeks.
The verges from Merley A31 DORSET both sides pass Canford Bottom Roundabout DORSET up to Lidls roundabout Tricketts Cross is a total disgrace. Not just now but over 8yrs since we lived here in Colehill, Wimborne. I have reported this on a number occasions. Occasionally it gets cleaned up but I repeat very occasionally.
These areas need cleaning on a weekly basis.
Dorset Council should be totally embarrassed. So should all the people throwing so much rubbish out of car and lorry windows on a daily basis.
There are some willing volunteers for this task, could a group be set up? All we need are bags and litter pickers, though I appreciate that health and safety issues may make this difficult. This morning I picked up a few items during a walk along the Kingston Lacy beech avenue.
Excellent news. any chance you can pressurise Highways England to do the same on the A31 under their control?
the a31 from merley roundabout to ferndown is disgusting
im ashamed what must our visitors think dirty uk
you have a duty to remove this rubbish
I think a lot of the litter comes from unsecured loads being blown off vehicles in the high winds. I have noticed an abundance of litter on the Weymouth relief road recently, which does co-inside with the high winds we have had lately.
Litter currently alongside the A31 from Ashley Heath Roundabout at St. Ives to St. Leonards and beyond is a disgrace. Surely the Council needs to employ more operatives to tackle the problem. Does not our Council Tax assist with services like litter picking which should be carried out on a regular basis.
Whilst I appreciate the A31 is technically a Highways England Road it appears Dorset Council is picking up the tab for collecting litter. The litter issue has been exacerbated by the clearing of the gorse for some short sections – why was this done? If replacement planting was implemented I could understand but it’s just bare and litter strewn. No advertisement for Dorset.
Littlemoor – should be renamed ‘Littermoor’ Beverley Road – atrocious, to name just one small patch. The footpath that runs from the top of this road to Upwey Railway Station is particularly bad. I walk my dog around this area and across the fields, it is saddening. Looking at what is dropped I would say the worst culprits are drunkards and, school children. Also, I don’t see anything that could be classed as essential. This is supposed to be a ‘deprived’ area, being poor does not prevent anyone from putting their litter in a bin! I pick something up when I’m out and I see others doing the same. Well meaning volunteers picking up litter cannot solve the problem though. Schools could help by running projects to teach children why they should not drop litter, how hazardous it is to wildlife for example and focus on encouraging a more caring attitude to their environment. There needs to be a lot of publicity to try and change people’s careless habits.
It is terribly sad in this day & age that the few antisocial people who throw litter out of their vehicles don’t have an iota of sense which would make them take it home & dispose of it properly. How many of these people are Dorset residents I wonder? So many non residents pass through our beautiful county with not a thought to what we residents have to tolerate & pay for.
I understand as said on the TV that the verges are being left to grow higher to provide more flowers for bees.
The only trouble is for example driving along the A31 approaching the mini roundabout in Ferndown you cant see other cars coming around the roundabout due to the long grass on it and on the central reservation.