‘It's next-level fly-tipping’ – Frustrated neighbour battles to get abandoned lorries cleared off the roads

A Maidenhead driver has expressed frustration about being sent ‘round in circles’ trying to get two abandoned lorries cleared off the public highway.

Candice Ringsell lives down the street from the Shire Horse pub on the A4 Bath Road. On that stretch there is a lay-by in which the back end of a lorry appears to have been dumped.

Driving past it several times over the course of several weeks, Candice and neighbours concluded that it had probably been abandoned there.

Then Candice spotted another – this time on a lay-by on the A404(M) at the junction just before the A4130 Henley Road turn off, near Burchetts Green.

As before, the drivers’ cab was nowhere to be seen, just the cargo part of the lorry left behind, minus the licence plates. 

This lorry trailer on the A404(M) is ‘like a skip’, said Candice – it is full of building materials and scrap, bits of which are emerging over the top.

“It’s amazing something so expensive has just been left there. It's fly-tipping to the next level,” said Candice. “I hate mess and fly-tipping [anyway but] especially when it’s a lorry. It’s so lazy.”

Both these trailers have been in lay-bys for more than nine weeks, said Candice.

“The massive trailer [on the A404(M]) is full to the brim with rubbish, held in by netting which has become loose and is flapping about now,” she said.

“The rubbish is starting to be blown out and will soon be all over the roads and woodland.

“It will be a hazard on that road, and it’s something that should be sorted. The [lorries] can’t just stay there.”

Unsure exactly which public body was accountable for each lorry, Candice contacted both National Highways and the Royal Borough council.

She got in touch with National Highways ‘about five times’ and found that they were not getting back to her.

RBWM’s parking team replied that it was responsible for the A4 lay-by and said it would investigate, but that the A404(M) was National Highway’s responsibility.

However, when Candice took this to National Highways, they originally acknowledged responsibility then reversed their position, passing the buck back to RBWM, she said.

As for the A4 lorry dump, Candice was told RBWM would investigate more than two weeks ago but so far nothing has been done.

“I am going round in circles trying to get it sorted,” said Candice. “No one is taking responsibility or action.”

“I just wish they [RBWM and National Highways] would speak to each other and work out whose [responsibility] it is.”

A spokesperson for National Highways said that due to the unknown nature of the waste present in abandoned trailers, specialist contractors are often required to ensure safe removal, which adds to the time taken to deal with them.

This road network contains high-speed roads, and for the safety of road users and contractors, special provisions are needed for dealing with littering and fly-tipping there.

Regarding the A4 lorry trailer, RBWM had not responded to a request for comment at the time of going to press.