Fears A283 roadside litter between Steyning and Shoreham poses threat to wildlife

Carol Dowson, a keen environmentalist, first raised concerns about the mess on the grass verges and laybys along the busy road, between the Old Shoreham Cement Works and the flyover, back in April 2018.

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The Steyning resident, who said she travelled along the A-road on the number two bus everyday to get to her job in Hove, told the Herald at the time: “It’s really appalling, there’s so much plastic, so many bottles.

“The lay-bys are so bad, people just stop there and throw stuff out.

“People seem to accept it as the norm really, which is a shame.”

Carol, who said caring for the environment had always been her ‘passion and hobby’, said she was worried that the litter on the road, which cuts through the South Downs National Park, was endangering wildlife.

After raising her concerns with Adur District Council, which is responsible for clearing the area, she said there had been ‘some improvements’.

But now, she said the council appeared to be ‘quite neglectful of problem areas again’ and that basic collections which ‘should be happening regularly are failing to take place’.

“It’s incredibly frustrating,” she said.

“We’re not talking about mountains of litter but there’s plastic debris and coffee cups, beer cans that have been discarded on the lay-bys for several months and our wildlife and environment simply cannot afford this.

“Our climate emergency and biodiversity crisis means that the collection of litter can no longer be relegated to a purely aesthetic issue.”

A spokesman for Adur District Council encouraged motorists who used the road not to throw their litter along the route.

“While, the council does deliver litter picks in the area, we do ask all motorists to be responsible with their litter, and encourage everyone to dispose of their rubbish in provided bins or take it home with them,” the spokesman said.

“This is a very busy main road; we are unable to access some sections of it without shutting the road down for a clean-up, which would incur major costs.”

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