Craven District Council will start a campaign to clear verges on the main roads of litter in April.

The council’s waste management team has drawn up a programme to tackle litter on the A65, the A59, the A629, the A56, the A6068 and the B6265 in Craven. 

The litter pick started on April 16, and will take place over around eight weeks, with traffic management needed to ensure the safety of teams carrying out the work.

Wyn Ashton, Environmental Services & Housing Manager at Craven District Council, said: “We had hoped to begin this work in March but due to the adverse weather earlier in the month we will now be starting in April. We have also had to work with North Yorkshire County Council to create a rolling road closure programme.

“The schedule needs to be flexible to allow for unavoidable issues such as road closures or traffic issues, but we expect to tackle the work over a period of eight weeks from April 16.

“We know residents are keen for us to tackle the accumulation of litter on our road verges and we are equally keen to get on with it – but we need to ensure the safety of our crews.”

Teams will start the work on the A59 and the A56 west-bound from the Travelodge roundabout to the border in Thornton-in-Craven, and then east-bound on the A59 to the border at Kexgill Farm. 

The third week of work will tackle the A629 from the Travelodge roundabout to the Cross Hills roundabout. Weeks four and five will address the A65 from the Travelodge roundabout to the border at West Houses.

In week six teams will litter-pick along the A6068 from the Dog and Gun Pub in Sutton to the border at Sandyforth Farm, and the Old Colne Road from Sixpenny Syke Farm to the border at Black Lane Ends Pub.

Week seven will cover the B6265 from the Grassington roundabout to the Grassington turnoff. Some work may spill over into an eighth week depending on any delays.

The Environmental Protection Act of 1990 states that if a person drops, throws, deposits, or leaves anything that causes defacement in a public place, they are committing a littering offence. People caught littering can be issued with a fixed penalty notice. Failure to pay will result in prosecution, so always try to use a litter bin or take it home.

If groups would like to organise or take part in a litter-pick event or community clean-up, Craven District Council can help by providing free refuse sacks, gloves, litter-pickers and free collection of the rubbish. 

Please contact Waste Management Services on 01756 700600, or email wastemanagement@cravendc.gov.uk for more information.