South Kesteven district councillors are pressing the governing alliance to prioritise the clean-up of litter along the A1.

The recently established South Kesteven Coalition, comprising of the Conservative Party and Independent Councillors Paul Wood, Jane Wood and Penny Milnes, is urging the district council to take charge of maintaining the important stretch of road.

The key motorway transects a significant portion of South Kesteven, extending from Stamford to Long Bennington, and is regularly plagued with discarded rubbish from passing vehicles.

"A significant portion of the A1 runs through our district, and unfortunately, due to thoughtless littering, it currently presents a poor image of our area,"said Conservative Leader Graham Jeal.

"Other councils, such as Newark and Sherwood, have successfully cleaned up sections within their jurisdictions. It is now the responsibility of the South Kesteven rainbow alliance to do the same and fulfil their obligations."

Councillor Paul Wood, Leader of the South Kesteven Independent Group, added: "We wholeheartedly support our coalition partners, the Conservatives, in asserting that the time of action on this matter is now.

"The A1 is a prominent feature of my Viking ward, and I am well aware of how the substantial amount of litter on the roadside detracts from the ward's appeal.

"This litter is not only harmful to the environment but also fails to present South Kesteven in its best possible light."

Councillor Ben Green further continued: "A1 littering is an unfortunate reality that residents in my ward, Isaac Newton, have to endure on a daily basis.

"However, this situation can be rectified if the rainbow Alliance takes decisive action. If they fail to respond, the council may face significant fine through the implementation of a Litter Abatement Order, a legal mechanism available under the Environment Protection Act 1990, until the necessary steps are taken.

"Any member of the public can trigger this."

The South Kesteven Coalition was first established as a strategic move by the Conservatives to retain control of the district council following last month's local election.

The election resulted in a stalemate with no single party securing an overall majority and both the former Leader and Deputy Leader losing their seats.

Despite these efforts, control of the local authority was passed to a coalition of Independents, Greens, Lib Dems and Labour during the annual general meeting. The group of 27 councillors then voted in Richard Cleaver as the new leader.