Councillor writes to Highways England over ‘failure to maintain cleanliness of A627 verges into Rochdale’

A local councillor has written to Highways England over a ‘failure to maintain the grass verges of the A627’, which is plagued by mounting litter and weeds along the verges.

Councillor Faisal Rana has called for Highways England to clean up their act, as the responsible body for this stretch of road.

He said: “This is probably the most important road in our borough. Thousands of people use the A627M every day. It's the gateway to Rochdale - and look what an awful mess it is. It's been like this for years and an appalling advertisement for the town.

"I'm getting fed up with Highways England who are responsible for this stretch of road. They've made promises before to cut back the verges and get rid of the mountains of litter but have failed to do so. 

 

 

"Despite major cutbacks, Rochdale Council spends a lot of money keeping the borough clean and green. It's important for our residents and visitors alike. But Highways England is letting everyone down. It's the most important road in Rochdale and should be in pristine condition but it's always neglected and dirty and reflects badly on our town.

"As you get into Rochdale near Sandbrook Park, you can see where Highways England's responsibility ends and the council's start. Our verges are neat, tidy and litter free. Why can't they do the same?

"I have told Highways England that if they're not up to the job they should pay the council and we will take over and maintain this stretch of the A627M."

 

 

Highways England has written back to Councillor Rana, confirming further vegetation clearing and litter picking is scheduled in October, after litter picking was carried out in April this year.

A spokesperson for Highways England said: “Our teams carry out regular maintenance work on motorways and major A roads across the North West throughout the year, and will be cutting back vegetation and removing litter from the A627(M) next month.

“We’d also urge drivers to do their bit by taking their litter home with them. Roadside litter is not just unsightly but a threat to wildlife and the environment as well. It can also be a safety hazard for drivers, can block drains and picking it up puts our road workers at risk.”

Around 200,000 bags of litter are collected from the motorway network every year. Litter presents a serious safety risk and besides it being unsightly, it’s also a risk to wildlife and the environment. Last year 20,000 bags were collected from the network during the Great British Spring Clean.