South Kesteven District Council is looking to identify "grotspots" along the A1 in an effort to pinpoint the areas most severely impacted by littering.

During an Environment Overview and Scrutiny Committee meeting held on Tuesday, councillors discussed potential strategies for addressing the issue of littering along sections of the A1 motorway within their district.

In June, a coalition group comprising local Conservative councillors and Independent councillors Paul Wood, Jane Wood, and Penny Miles urged the council to assume responsibility for maintaining this stretch of road.

However, given that contractor quotes exceeded £60,000 each time, officials are now assessing the long-term cost-effectiveness and have opted to focus on identifying the most severely affected areas while conducting a feasibility study.

During the proceedings, Deputy Council Leader Ashley Baxter (Independent) highlighted the substantial cost, stating: "I don't personally think, as a long-term strategy, that would be a good use of money."

Committee Chairman Councillor Ian Selby (Independent) expressed his strong feelings about littering, describing it as one of his primary "pet hates."

"For me, this isn't just a local issue; it's a national issue," he remarked, highlighting that councils all across the country are facing significant expenses in addressing this problem.

He later raised the question of whether a national campaign against littering existed and pondered if it would be worthwhile to engage with local MPs and encourage them to take further action.

Councillor Charmaine Morgan (Democratic Independent Group) suggested that signs warning people of the consequences of littering could be helpful.

While acknowledging that installing cameras for enforcement can be expensive, she emphasised that the mere presence of signs suggesting their use could still have a positive impact.

However, she later expressed hesitance regarding the idea of employing litter pickers on the A1 due to the dangerous nature of the motorway. She added, "Our district, as we know, has some of the most dangerous stretches on the A1."

Councillor Graham Jeal (Conservative) noted that all different parties were in agreement and wanted to deal with the issue but recognised that the council lacked "infinite resources."

"We all recognise that we are legally responsible, we recognise that this is a national problem, but we have to do something about it," he said.

"The next stage is working with local councillors to identify those 'grotspots' so we can do a feasibility study."

Councillor Morgan seconded his proposal, with seven councillors voting in favour and one against.