CLEANING of a rubbish-strewn railway underpass is set to get under way in the coming weeks.

Residents have complained about the state of the Royston rail underpass, at Coombes Hole, as they say it has become filled with litter and broken glass.

Derek Emblem, of Green Street, Royston, uses the underpass on a regular basis.

He said: “There’s litter, broken glass, and dogs muck, and most of it has been there for several days.

“It needs a proper clean and a couple of bins at each end of the underpass, and although there are two on Burns Road near the bus stops, there’s nothing on the other side at all.”

No cleaning of the underpass has taken place since it opened earlier this year. Maintenance of the site is the responsibility of Hertfordshire County Council, but it is also being added to the areas serviced by North Herts District Council’s street cleansing team.

In a report to the district council’s Royston area committee, community development officer Alan Fleck said: “Since the opening of the rail underpass, no street cleansing has taken place.

“Additional bins have now been installed by North Herts District Council, and are used and emptied.”

Mr Fleck added that he had spoken to his colleagues at Hertfordshire County Council to request that its new maintenance contractor, Ringways, carry out an “interim tidy” to clear up the site.

Cllr Fiona Hill, Royston’s county councillor, said: “Everybody is chasing the county council to get this interim tidy done, and once it is on the maintenance schedule it will be cleaned on a regular basis.”

Meanwhile Mr Fleck recently met with teachers from The Meridian School and several other schools in Royston regarding the design of a mural for the underpass. He is now investigating “several practical approaches” to get this done without affecting the lightness of the tunnel.

? What do you think? Is there a problem with litter at the underpass? Email postbag@royston-crow.co.uk