Riverside Litter - action taken to clear it up

Update October 2009: - Regular riverside litter picking starts

Following continued lobbying of Elmbridge BC Environmental Care by your local Weybridge North Councillors, we are delighted to say that Elmbridge BC have now secured agreement from the Environment Agency for the EA to fund regular litter picking along the riverside Thames Path between Weybridge and Cowey Sale (Walton Bridge).  This is excellent news, and we are grateful to Elmbridge Environmental Care and to portfolio holder Glenn Dearlove for responding positively to this need.  We look forward to seeing a tidier riverside.

April 2009:  38 bags of litter were picked from the Weybridge Thames riverside on 15 April. This was the positive result of a proposal by local councillor Miles Macleod for a project to clear riverside litter under the Pay Back scheme, where offenders supervised by the Probation Service undertake reparation work in the community. 

We have a recurring issue with riverside litter. A thoughtless minority leave a beautiful riverside looking messy and neglected. People drop or dump litter, and there is generally no-one to clear it up.  The riverside and towpath belong to the Environment Agency, but many people feel Elmbridge Borough Council should play a role in keeping the riverside clear of litter. So we have been pressing hard for some positive action to be taken.

Desborough - retrieved from disgrace

By far the worst affected area has been Desborough Island. Two years ago many residents (including your local Weybridge North councillors) were part of a community day of cleaning up Desborough Island, organised by Elmbridge BC Community Partnership team. The volunteers collected two large skips full of litter and rubbish, and made a big difference.

But the problem recurred. This beautiful area of publicly accessible riverside green space is treasured by many but abused by a few. Some of the people who bivouac there just dump their rubbish when they leave.

The situation got particularly bad again this spring. Large amounts of rubbish had accumulated, with one area simply looking like a tip. Your local councillors put increased pressure on the enforcement officer to take action. It is not easy to catch the offenders, because of the remote location and unpredictable timing, but we are looking at possibilities.

But the priority was to clear it up before the ground cover regrew. 

Earlier this year (2009) Cllr Macleod had asked Elmbridge Environmental Care about possibilities for clearing litter. We wanted to see major clear up of litter, and secondly some regular litter picking.  We were told we might consider mobilising the community to get another clean-up day organised.  Then in mid March the TLC scheme was announced, and it was a golden opportunity to get something done.

Here is our accepted proposal:

NOMINATION FOR 'TLC' PROJECT

Picking litter along the Thames riverside between Thames Street, Weybridge and Cowey Sale (including Desborough Island)

This is a project which is much needed, is readily achievable and will have a highly visible public impact.

Local residents are disturbed by the riverside litter (and some try to remove the worst of it), visitors are unimpressed by it, and fellow councillors have commented on it. The issue has been raised in the Elmbridge BC Environmental Affairs O&S Committee. I really would like to be able to give some news of action by Elmbridge BC.

Our publicly accessible riversides are a wonderful asset and -- regardless of the complexities of ownership and formal responsibilities for care and maintenance -- if they constantly appear strewn with litter it reflects badly on Elmbridge. So it will be of real benefit to the community and the borough if they can receive some TLC as part of this project.  It really needs to be an early project, starting in April before the undergrowth regrows.

Following a Probation Service safety assessment, action was taken quickly.

Eight Community Payback workers with SCC Probation Service supervisors worked all day on riverside litter clearing on 15 April. They litter picked the full towpath from Thames Street up to Cowey Sale and also the Island itself, collecting some 36 bags of rubbish. They also cleared the tyres and wheels from the Environment Agency land below the E.A. car park on the Island with Elmbridge help. There were 40 tyres/wheels in total. All of the above was then collected in the afternoon by Elmbridge BC crews and taken to the tip.