Motorists urged to take rubbish home in tidy up campaign
M56 ‘grot-spot’ littered with items thrown from vehicles
ARUBBISH-BLIGHTED motorway junction in Runcorn has been cleared up as part of a national campaign to tackle the nation’s grot spot shame.
National Highways maintenance teams were joined by Keep Britain Tidy campaigners and the area’s MP Mike Amesbury to remove “piles of rubbish” from the M56 at Clifton.
The government roads agency has pledged to pick up at least 8,000 bags of litter for this year’s Great British Spring Clean (GBSC).
A National Highways spokesman said its staff have collected 60,000 bags during the last six GBSC events.
InYourArea revealed last year how clearance works of roadside vegetation had uncovered tracts of land blighted by discarded crisp packets, drinks cans and bottles, general plastic packaging and coffee cups.
Junction 12 of the M56 at Clifton, Runcorn, provides a busy connection between traffic heading to and from Chester and North Wales with Halton plus Merseyside to the north and the wider network.
Paul Elliott, National Highways maintenance service manager for the North West, said: “Millions of people travel on National Highways roads like the M56 every day and despite efforts like this to clear it, our network quickly becomes littered from vehicles and unsecure loads.
“Litter is a serious social problem with devastating consequences for wildlife and the environment.
“Clearing litter from the side of roads also exposes maintenance crews to significant risk.
“Our priority is to keep our roads safe and well maintained, and litter is a huge issue that we are tackling daily.
“We urge people to save litter for the bin, rather than throwing it on the side of the road.”
Keep Britain Tidy has estimated it costs around £1bn every year to clean up litter.
The National Highways spokesman added rubbish also poses a “serious safety risk” on roads because verges and barriers form corridors where litter and debris build up “at an alarming rate”, creating hazards for road users, wildlife and the maintenance crews who clean it up.
He said: “While the Great British Spring Clean runs for a matter of weeks, National Highways picks litter throughout the year and carries out regular inspections to make sure England’s motorways and major A-roads are in good condition.”
Mike Amesbury, MP for Weaver Vale, said: “It was good to be out with the team from National Highways, but it’s a shame they have to be there because of an irresponsible minority of drivers.
“Not only is the litter unsightly but it’s deadly to mammals and wildlife.
“Workers are having to pick up 60 bags of rubbish every single day.
“And it’s quite hairy having to do that exercise on motorway verges and slip roads, as well as costing money to the taxpayer that would be better spent elsewhere.
“The key ask is for people to do the responsible thing and take their rubbish home for recycling or discard it in a litter bin at a service station.”
Lucy Fell, account director for roads contractor Amey, said: “We deliver a range of maintenance work on behalf of National Highways to help keep people moving.
“It’s shocking to see the amount of litter on the sides of our roads.
“To litter pick the side verges, we need to install lane closures to ensure safety for our operatives and the travelling public.
“By taking part in the Great British Spring Clean, we’re encouraging everyone to save their rubbish for their bin, reducing the need for our operatives to litter pick and time better spent improving the road network.”
National Highways urged residents to report anything wrong spotted on the roads from broken signs and barriers to litter, overgrown vegetation or potholes.
Report maintenance issues to National Highways online at report. nationalhighways.co.uk or by calling 0300 123 5000.
‘Not only is the litter unsightly but it’s deadly to mammals and wildlife. Workers are having to pick up 60 bags of rubbish every single day’ MIKE AMESBURY MP FOR WEAVER VALE