If this is your first Clean Highways Newsletter…

…… you may have contacted me in late March or early April when I was inundated with  complaints about roadside litter. I am sorry I was not able to reply to you individually or include your feedback in my Dirty Dossier.

MP meetings

Thank you to those of you who asked your MPs to meet me in Westminster.

I have now met with Caroline Nokes,  Tom Brake, Gordon Henderson , Sir David Amess , Ian Lucas  and Bill Wiggin and have an appointment to see Kevin Hollinrake in September.  I had previously met with Andrew Gwynne, John Pugh, Christopher Chope and John Hemming (sadly not relected in May).

Andrew Gwynne has challenged roads minister Andrew Jones over the littered motorways in the north west and John Pugh was instrumental in getting one of my proposals accepted by his Select Committee.

Christopher Chope promised to put “litter” on the agenda of the Special Interest Group on Highways Maintenance.

Ian Lucas is keen to work with our campaign.

I discussed with Tom Brake Highways England’s habit of using operative safety as an excuse for not litter -picking.  He has consequently tabled the following parliamentary question:

Since the beginning of 2010 how many Highways England / Highways Agency staff, and staff of their contractors, have been (a) injured and (b) killed while removing litter or refuse from the strategic road network. In each case what was the cause of and nature of the  injuries sustained.

I have also met with:

Gillian Worley, a Senior Lead at the DfT on HE matters.

Peter Antolik, Highways Director at the Office of Rail and Road. Their job is to monitor HE’s compliance with the Road Investment Strategy and it’s License.

I was also the guest speaker at the June meeting of the Road User Panel run by Transport Focus, the independent transport user watchdog.

Please also check out the following posts

New roads’ minister asked for support over motorway litter

M4 J8/9 – Central island cleaned at last

Cleansing of off-slip roads – a proposal to Highways England

Conservative Manifesto promises on litter

Highways England seemingly in denial of duty on litter

Milton Keynes Council unaware of their duty to clean A5

Council sponsored fly-tipping?

Freedom of Information

This campaign has benefited enormously from information gleaned using the FOI Act. Our rights to obtain information in this way are under attack.  Please help to protect them by signing this petition.

Have a great summer.

Peter Silverman
31st July 2015