Many residents have contacted me saying they are extremely disappointed with the standard of care being offered by Highways England to the road network they are responsible for in the Great Yarmouth area. Of particular concern are sections of the Yarmouth and Gorleston Relief Road. From first-hand experience, I am well aware that it presents an extremely poor impression of our community. As a result, I’ve written to the Chief Executive of Highways England demanding answers and more importantly action.

Residents have complained to me of poor-quality grassing cutting, often resulting in plastic and waste being chopped up and left scattered across the sides of the roads. I sent several pictures, provided by residents, which clearly demonstrate the issue.

I appreciate that litter picking is typically the responsibility of Great Yarmouth Borough Council, however, after discussions with the Borough Council, it is apparent that currently the Highways Agency is not consistently notifying the Borough Council of its cutting schedule. This prevents the Borough Council from litter picking beforehand. The results of this lack of coordination are unacceptable and present a poor impression of the borough to visitors and residents alike.  I’ve asked for details of Highways England’s processes and an assurance that they will work with the Borough Council in future to avoid such a mess occurring again.