Hitchin is an old market town with a medieval street pattern at its core and a ring of later housing and industry around it. Most commercial sweeping comes from the industrial area on the north-eastern side, around Wilbury Way, where engineering firms, builders’ merchants and waste operators share estate roads that quickly collect grit and spillage.
Development in the town is mainly infill and edge-of-settlement housing rather than very large schemes, so sites are often tight and close to neighbours. Three A roads meet here: the A505 between Luton and Letchworth, the A602 to Stevenage and the A1(M), and the A600 north towards Bedford. Farmland comes right up to the town boundary, and harvest traffic affects the lanes in late summer and autumn.
Coverage in and around Hitchin
Letchworth and Baldock are covered together with Hitchin, as are Ickleford, St Ippolyts, Offley and the villages over the county boundary such as Stotfold, Arlesey and Henlow. Operators typically come in from the A1(M) corridor, so it is worth arranging hire a few days in advance, particularly for early starts.