Litter-strewn motorways risk facing court, National Highways told

‘Lost all sense of pride’: Clear litter-strewn motorways or face being taken to court, National Highways told

  • National Highways has a legal duty to ‘ensure its land is kept clear of litter’
  • Former roads minister Sir Mike Penning says ‘we need to see a cultural’ change

Campaigners are threatening to take National Highways to court if it does not fulfil its duty to clean up the litter-strewn motorway network.

Clean Up Britain has instructed a leading law firm to write to the quango warning that it is ‘in flagrant and systemic breach of its duties’ for failing to clear the roads.

Lawyers Mishcon de Reya have written to chief executive Nick Harris requiring him to take immediate action or it could result in a court case against him.

National Highways has a legal duty to ‘ensure its land is kept clear of litter’, but the duty is not fulfilled across large swathes of the motorway network, the group alleges.

John Read, founder of Clean Up Britain, said: ‘We should all be truly ashamed of how disgusting and litter-strewn our country has become. It looks like we have finally lost all sense of pride.

Clean Up Britain has instructed a leading law firm to write to the quango warning that it is ‘in flagrant and systemic breach of its duties’ for failing to clear the roads

‘However, this does not excuse National Highways’ shameful and scandalous track record of inaction and dereliction of duty.

‘They are guilty of professional negligence, contractual amateurism and wasting public money.’ Clean Up Britain alleges that National Highways is breaching its duties under section 89 (1) and (2) of the Environmental Protection Act 1990. 

The call to take legal action has had backing from MPs of all parties and the supermarket chain Iceland.

Former roads minister Sir Mike Penning said: ‘We need to see a cultural and behavioural change to stop people tossing their litter. However, there is also an unequivocal legal responsibility for National Highways to “ensure the motorways are clear of litter”.’

Jeremy Paxman said it was time Britain took action. ‘We used to be a nation of shopkeepers, we aren’t any more, we’re a nation of litter louts,’ the journalist added.

The Daily Mail has long been outspoken in the battle against litter with campaigns including Turn the Tide on Plastic and The Great British Spring Clean, run with Keep Britain Tidy. 

Caroline Lucas MP, former Green Party leader, said: ‘It is truly shameful that all over this nation’s roads we are drowning in litter. In the short term, we must ensure that National Highways fulfils its duties.’

National Highways head of customer journeys Freda Rashdi said: ‘We regularly carry out litter picking activities across our motorways at a cost of millions of pounds each year. The money spent collecting it can be better spent on improving the network.’

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