Hampshire County Council is via its highways department putting a lot of time effort and I suspect money into road maintenance. 

It would appear recently that they employ separate contractors to put up signs and barriers and others to carry out the work. 

Presumably both these contractors have a contractual agreement with the county council.

It would appear that the sign placing company do not have a term of contract which requires them to remove signs and barriers at the works completion. 

I am continually finding abandoned signs and barriers littering our roads, verges and hedgerows of all classifications. If I was to do this it would be classed as “fly tipping” and I would no doubt and rightly be prosecuted.

Surely it is within the council’s remit when they write the contract with the sign company to write in an obligation to identify the ownership of sign and to ensure collection within a reasonable time frame on completion of the work.

The same should apply when they license utility companies to carry out work on the highway.

By Colin Rule

East Tisted, Alton