RUBBISH continues to pile up beside the A130 as three local authorities dispute who is responsible for clearing it.

Bin bags full of cardboard boxes, bottles, cans and other rubbish litter the side of the dual carriageway between the Sadlers Farm roundabout and the Fairglen Interchange junction with the A127.

The county council announced Basildon Council has agreed to clear the stretch, even providing details of the clearance schedule.

But Basildon Council denies agreement has been reached and says no schedule has been set.

Andrew Summers, 65, who regularly uses the road, said: “It’s all very odd and I don’t understand what’s going on. The situation is we have got all this rubbish all over the place that hasn’t been cleared for three years because of this council dispute, which isn’t my fault and it’s not the residents’ fault.”

The road lies along the border of the boroughs of Basildon and Castle Point. Borough councils are generally responsible for street cleaning, but the county council is the highways authority.

Mr Summers, of Homestead Gardens, Hadleigh, got in touch with Castle Point Council leader Colin Riley, then MP Rebecca Harris and a local county councillor.

They forwarded emails from the county council, saying Basildon Council would clear it.

Mr Summers then contacted Basildon Council, who said it was Castle Point’s responsibility. But Castle Point Council said the county council had got it in hand.

An Essex County Council spokesman said: “We are pleased an agreement has been reached for Basildon Council to fulfil its responsibility for street cleansing in the area.

“We acknowledge there have been some issues with litter and are happy the matter will soon be resolved.

“Litter picking works are scheduled to start on May 5 and Basildon Council has confirmed it will carry out regular street cleansing from then onwards.”

A Basildon Council spokesman said: “The work has not been scheduled to commence. Basildon Council has recently been made aware of the situation and is actively working with the county council to resolve the situation.

“A schedule of cleaning work was undertaken by the contractors after the redevelopment for a contract period.

“The public expects a clean environment and Basildon Council is working with Essex County Council to resolve the issue of rubbish on the A130.”