Dover litter verge purge on district’s main roads

Dover council is taking action to purge the district of remaining litter on the main routes in and around Dover – with a number of additional clean-ups set to start.

Working with partners, the plans will ensure that the litter can be cleared efficiently, whilst causing the least disruption to traffic flows on these key routes, and most importantly, ensuring the safety of any operatives undertaking this work.

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Dover District Council is responsible for the clearance of roadside litter on the A256, which has increased as a result of the additional traffic using this route since December 2020.

Freight delays over the Christmas period, and the use of Manston airport for increased freight checks and Covid testing, have both contributed to a large increase in roadside litter on the district’s local road network.

The two-week traffic management plan for this has been agreed, and the cleansing of both lanes along the entire 11-mile length of the A256 will begin this week.

The Council has also written to the Government for further financial support after the additional impact that the UK leaving the EU had on the district’s roads.

The A2 and A20 will also be cleansed in the next few weeks by another contract firm, working at night to minimise disruption. Highways England is responsible for this route and it requires an emergency order for managing traffic flow.

“The increase in freight traffic over the last few months on these primary routes has left its mark, with a huge increase in litter on the roadside which is an environmental eyesore. This huge rubbish clearance exercise will hopefully get the district’s road verges back to their best. Plans to introduce bulk bins in the laybys on these routes should help to improve the management of roadside litter going forward.”
Cllr Nicholas Kenton DDC Cabinet Member for Planning and Regulatory Services