A review of litter management responsibilities on the A1 trunk road is being sought by East Lothian Council.
Following a meeting of the full council on Tuesday (29 April), it was agreed a letter would be written to Scottish Ministers asking for the present arrangements to be assessed.
Transport Scotland has responsibility for litter removal on the majority of the A1 in the county, which is carried out by trunk roads contractor BEAR Scotland under a special order contract.
The road sections between the Edinburgh boundary and Old Craighall and between Thistly Cross and the Scottish Borders boundary are not included. Whilst maintenance including grass cutting and road defects is part of the BEAR contract, litter management defaults to the council under the Environmental Protection Act 1990.
On Thursday (24 April), staff from the council’s amenity services department, supported by BEAR, conducted a litter collection on the A1 between Dunbar and Thistly Cross. Seven council workers spent the day removing 120 bags of refuse which included car tyres, food wrappings, and numerous empty bottles of alcohol.
The council prioritises areas of high footfall when allocating resources to combat litter.
Best service possible
Councillor John McMillan, East Lothian Cabinet Spokesperson for Environment, Economic Development and Tourism, said: “The council clears over 3500 tonnes of litter and debris from roads and streets every year. Our team completed this latest litter collection along the A1 with their usual diligence under difficult conditions.
“The A1 is a main arterial route through the county and presents a unique challenge for staff to safely gather discarded waste. It also meant diverting finite resources to the roadside instead of tackling litter in our population centres.
“That is why the council has asked Scottish Ministers to review litter management on the A1 to see if the public would be better served by the appointed trunk road specialist contractor assuming responsibility for the sections not currently part of their contract.
“Such a change would allow the council to dedicate itself to providing the best service possible to residents while ensuring the A1 is kept as clean as possible.”
Better option
Due to the risk to staff from high-speed traffic, the council has a safe operating procedure (SOP) in place for litter clearances on the A1 which includes the need for lane closures. BEAR Scotland, which undertakes litter management between old Craighall and Thistly Cross, can plan litter picks in conjunction with other works so lane closures are minimised.
East Lothian Council is part of an A1 Litter Coordination Group organised in conjunction with BEAR Scotland, Transport Scotland, City of Edinburgh Council and Scottish Borders Council.
Cllr McMillan added: “A review of litter management would allow consideration of whether a single operator being responsible for the maintenance of the trunk road in East Lothian is a better option. The current set-up presents a range of practical difficulties, including organisational and safety issues, and we hope Scottish Ministers will give due consideration to a specialist contractor taking over duties the council is less equipped to fulfil.”