The Dragon Says: Attention Needed At Litter ‘Grot Spots’ Volunteer Pickers Cannot Reach

Published on: 18 Feb, 2016
Updated on: 18 Feb, 2016

By David Rose

There have been several comments to the story in which Guildford MP Anne Milton is encouraging people to undertake community litter picking ahead of the Queen’s 90th birthday celebrations.

But is is very clear: many places around Guildford where litter is an absolute nuisance and an eye-sore is where any willing volunteers are unable to get to – namely the verges of major roads, and also railway property.

Before we look at some examples, I’d say, in general, Guildford’s town centre, its suburban districts and villages are not too bad when it comes to the menace of discarded litter.

I believe Guildford Borough Council’s cleansing team does a fairly good job of collecting litter from our streets and public places.

For example, Stoughton Recreation Ground is an area where litter is dropped (despite there being waste bins there), but the cleansing department while making their rounds soon clears it up. Perhaps you disagree?

Moreover, those persistent areas of discarded litter can be called ‘grot spots’.

Litter discarded on the verges between the A3 (Midleton Road) and the A3 ‘bypass’ pictured from the footbridge at the foot oif Woodbridge Hill.

Regular correspondent to The Dragon, Jim Allen, left a reply that is worthy of more prominence.

He claims that he knows why the A3 through the Guildford area is so litter infested.

He writes: “As explained to me by an ‘operative’, Guildford Borough Council is the contractor for litter collection under Highways England.

“But to actually do the job each operative has to attend a course, in Winchester I believe, for a day to learn how to collect litter on a busy road.

“This course must be attended in pairs (teams) such that they are properly trained up.

“They then follow health and safety procedures laid out by Highways England.

“The road carriageway has to be closed (one lane) to protect the workforce even though they are working ‘off the road’.

“This can’t be done during the night because the can’t see the litter, so it must be done during the day.

“Lanes can’t be closed off in the rush hour because of too much traffic.

“It takes longer to cone off than it does to collect the litter. And it takes longer to cone and collect and then de-cone than there are hours between the rush hours.

“You get the picture! As they say, there must be a better way.”

A real litter ‘grot spot’ as viewed from the footbridge at the foot of Woodbridge Hill.

And surely there must. He is right, the verges of the A3 are a disgrace. Is there no way that these can be cleaned? Not just to mark the Queen’s milestone event, but on a regular basis?

My family and I enjoyed a road trip through some of the southern states of the USA last summer. We drove, mainly on interstate roads, through Georgia, North and South Carolina, Tennessee, Mississipi, and Alabama. Were the verges of the highways strewn with litter? No.

A litter-free interstate highway in the USA.

But I have to say there was a good deal of pieces of rubber tyres lying on the hard shoulders. This, I was later told, comes from the trucks that pound the US’s roads so hard.

Interestingly, in many of the states we passed through there were many signs on the highway warning that those caught discarding litter would be fined $1,500. Perhaps that was doing the trick?

Something certainly needs to be done to rid our highway verges of litter, and also railway property.

Under an arch of the ‘seven arches’ railway bridge in Walnut Tree Close there is always a small mountain of litter on the other side of the wire fence. Surely, it can’t some from train passengers? It must be discarded by pedestrians walking that way. I guess they see other people’s litter and think it’s ok to chuck theirs in the same place.

If only Network Rail would clear it up on a regular basis!

A community litter pick in March 2015 organised by David Rose as part of his Joining In! project in the Westborough ward. Members of the community and students from the University of Surrey volunteered. The area cleaned was around the Tesco store – an unfortunate grot spot!

But if you do have a ‘grot spot’ in your area – and one that be be accessed, Guildford Borough Council can help. From its Woking Road depot it can loan (for free) litter grabbers, protective rubber gloves (they are a bit thin) and black plastic sacks.

Once you have completed your ‘community litter pick’ tell the council where you have left the filled plastic sacks (usually at a suitable roadside location) and the cleansing department will soon come along and take them away.

What do you think? Do you know of a litter ‘grot spot’ near you? Is it accessable for a community clean up? Or should the authorities be doing a better job? What’s your solution? Please leave a reply in the box below.

Share This Post