A seven-week clean up operation is being launched to clean up litter in hedgerows and verges on the busiest high-speed roads across our district.
Bath & North East Somerset Council’s cleansing teams will pick up unnecessary rubbish thrown from vehicles onto verges of A and B roads in a blitz starting this week.
Traffic management will be in place as the teams clean up more than 150 miles of verges at a cost of £18,000 to the council.
Last year crews collected more than 188 bags of unnecessary waste weighing in at 3.5 tonnes, the equivalent of a light goods vehicle.
Councillor David Wood, joint cabinet member for Neighbourhood Services and Climate Emergency, said: “The rubbish in our hedgerows and verges is completely unnecessary and is only there because of people’s carelessness. Most of it is fast-food packaging and items thrown from vehicles. Litter is not only an eyesore but damages the environment and wildlife too.

“Our clean-up operation is expensive, time consuming and dangerous for our crews and it’s frustrating that this time and money could be better spent on other essential services for residents.
However, we want to keep our countryside looking beautiful, which is why we have dedicated funding to carry this out each year. We apologise for any inconvenience caused to drivers during the clean-up.”
Litter picking schedule for 2021*
* subject to change depending on weather conditions:
Road Name – In order of preference other than dual carriageway works (A4/A46/A36) | Start | End | Estimated Duration – Days |
A4 | 6 | ||
Keynsham Bypass and from Globe to 3 Lamps Junction | 6 | ||
A46 | 1 | ||
Batheaston bypass – all during night road closure by Highways England | 1 | ||
A4 | 15/02/21 | 16/02/21 | 2 |
London Rd to Bathford Rnd About (Box Rd) | 2 | ||
A37 | 17/02/21 | 18/02/21 | 2 |
A368 | 22/02/21 | 23/02/21 | 2 |
Globe Pennyquick (Whiteway Rd) to Haycombe Cemetery | 19/02/21 | 19/02/21 | 1 |
A39 | 24/02/21 | 26/02/21 | 3 |
B3116 Junction A39 to Keynsham | 01/03/21 | 02/03/21 | 2 |
Woollard Lane & Chalton Road to Keynsham | 03/03/21 | 04/03/21 | 2 |
A367 | 08/03/21 | 09/03/21 | 2 |
B3115 Tunley Road | 05/03/21 | 05/03/21 | 1 |
B3130 Chew Magna to A37 Pensford | 10/03/21 | 01/03/21 | 1 |
B3114 Chew Magna to Border – by Sherborne Farm | 11/03/21 | 15/03/21 | 3 |
B3355 Hallatrow to A362 | 16/03/21 | 16/03/21 | 1 |
A362 Farrington – Old Mill Ind Estate | 17/03/21 | 17/03/21 | 1 |
Queen Charlton Lane | 18/02/21 | 19/02/21 | 2 |
Stockwood Lane | 22/03/21 | 22/03/21 | 1 |
Staunton Lane | As and when | As and when | 1 |
A363 Wilts border to Bathford Rnd About | 21/03/21 | 23/03/21 | 1 |
Brassknocker Hill | 24/03/21 | 24/03/21 | 1 |
B3110 Hinton Charterhouse Road | 25/03/21 | 25/03/21 | 1 |
Claverton Down Road – Brassknocker to Uni | 26/03/21 | 26/03/21 | 1 |
Lansdown Road to S.Glos border to Fonthill Rd | 29/03/21 | 29/03/21 | 1 |
Lansdown Lane – Lansdown Rd to Beresford Gdns | 30/03/21 | 30/03/21 | 1 |
A431 Kelston Road | 31/03/21 | 31/03/21 | 1 |
A36 Lower Bristol Road Cares Centre to 3 Lamps Junc | 01/04/21 | 01/04/21 | 1 |
A4 Globe to Car Sales Saltford | 02/04/21 | 02/04/21 | 1 |
A36 Warminster Road | 06/04/21 | 07/04/21 | 2 |
You describe this problem down to “people’s carelessness”, but that’s too nice a description. Whilst gramatically correct I can think of many unprintable descriptions more suited.