Litter Blitz - Over 90 bags collected to date!
update by Nick Gamble, 23 March 2021
Trailer load of Fly-tipped Waste along A595
Over the winter period when vegetation dies back the volume of litter strewn along roadsides becomes horrifyingly conspicuous. The vast volume of such visible litter suggests littering is accepted and normal behaviour (it isn’t!) and is symptomatic of a lack of understanding of and respect for our environment. The Parish Council have not been able – with coronavirus restrictions – to organise litter picks this year as in previous years. Undeterred individual residents from Buckman Brow, Broadgate, The Green, Hallthwaites, The Hill, Lady Hall and Millom have taken up litter pickers, high-vis tabards, thorn-proof gloves, and plastic bags to collect litter along our roads and lanes (where it has been safe to do so) during the first part of March. A number of residents collect litter year round when walking. These ongoing efforts and especially those of the litter ‘task force’ during March have made a real difference to the state of our roads and, we hope, make road users take note of our environment.
Bags of Collected Litter on A595
Several litter hotspots have been targeted, including the Hall Bank layby. Several residents battled with brambles, branches, rain and hail for 3 hours on Saturday 13 March to give the Hall Bank layby a long overdue spring clean. The group collected over 20 bags of waste, plus tires, other car parts, a large drum, tarmac laying residues, the usual toilet seat, general debris and many kgs of builder's rubble. Ghyll Scaur Quarry employees supported the clean-up effort. The area is looking much more presentable now.
Other residents have worked individually along wider sections of the A595 where litter has become deeply embedded along the verges and entangled in brambles and hedges. Most of the litter is plastic based fast food wrappers and drink containers which will puzzle archaeologists of the future. Worryingly, a substantial number of beer and cider cans have been collected from the roadsides.
Litter and fly-tipping at Furnace Woods
To date over 90 bags of waste have been collected along with a horrifying assortment of items that have been fly-tipped. Items collected include innumerable pieces of PPE, enough tyres for several vehicles, hubcaps, other plastic car parts, oil drums, bathroom fittings (at least 2 toilet seats), a wheel barrow, bicycle rack and mudguards.