DRIVING along the Skipton bypass makes me ashamed to be a resident of Craven with Skipton as our main hub town.

It is now a complete cesspool.

From the Keighley to Gargrave to Grassington roundabout the litter is now worse than it has ever been.

It seems as if 'the powers that be' who are responsible forgetting rid of the litter have a set format. Cleaning in October and again in April/May.

This is just not good enough. We have a few weeks when it is a joy to drive along the by pass but after that the rot/grot/deterioration sets in and every month it is worse and worse.

As this happens every year without fail, could I suggest that the people now take over. It is not dangerous to litter pick on the by pass.

The verges are wide and no one will have to dice with death as we have been doing for a great many years on the Grassington road. The Council offices have litter picks and bags. 20 volunteers could do it in a day.

I find it incomprehensible that the Craven District Councillors and the North Yorkshire County Councillors can accept the ugliness of the litter now on the by pass. Do they perhaps drive along with eyes closed?

The bypass is the shop window for Skipton and anyone looking through the shop window would not want to stop and spend time or money in Skipton as the Council and people must be very uncaring.

Until the highways hygienic cleansers have a proper routine, that is bottoming the bypass then checking it every single week, there will never be any improvement. I think it is essential to put a woman in charge as we understand the idea of keeping on top of dirt and not letting it accumulate.

Every year I write a letter in this vein and every year it is ignored and I would be told, if I rang the council, that the men will go out in April/May as that is when it is scheduled.

Can someone please think out of the box and make a radical executive decision to do something immediately. Thousands are driving to the NHS Covid Centre and many are complaining about the state of the by pass. We should not be ashamed of our town.

Rowena Harker Leder MBE

Grassington

A spokesperson for Craven District Council said: "Craven District Council teams will begin the spring clean of the verges on the major through routes in the district on April 6. Traffic management is required when working alongside A roads to ensure the safety of the workforce. Whilst volunteer litter-pickers are much appreciated and do great work around the district, they are encouraged not to litter pick on these routes for their own safety.

Drivers are urged not to leave their litter by the roadside; it’s unsightly, presents a safety risk to wildlife, the environment and those tasked with picking it up, and diverts valuable resources away from providing essential services."