Lawley and Overdale Parish Council joins Telford & Wrekin Council (TWC) in their support of the nationwide Keep Britain Tidy campaign.
With the lockdown, green spaces and parks have been a lifeline to many people.
But as the lockdown restrictions ease and the weather gets warmer, there’s a real risk of these places becoming dumping grounds. Littering and fly-tipping have been on the increase lately, and we can all do our part to stop it.
TWC’s grounds and street cleansing contractor, idverde, have been out litter-picking and emptying bins more often now that the weather is warmer. Street Champions and other voluntary groups are also helping to keep the borough clean and tidy. Lawley and Overdale Parish Council’s own Parish Environmental Team (PET) has been keeping an eye on our parish for hotspots too, and reporting or cleaning-up what they can.
But we need your help!
What’s the problem?
Littering and fly-tipping spoil the green areas of the parish for the whole community. And now more than ever, those green areas are a lifeline for many, enabling people to get out of their homes, sit outside, and relax and socialise. But with more people using these spaces comes more litter.
It costs all of us money to clean it up afterwards, too.
Between 1st July 2019 and until June 2020 there were 72 instances of fly-tipping in Lawley and Overdale Parish alone – and those are just the ones we knew about. They are on the increase, with 8 instances of fly-tipping in May, and 14 in June.
Each instance needs to be cleaned up, and doing this isn’t free. We estimate that cleaning up the 72 instances described above may have cost just under £4,000. (This estimate is based on benchmarking figures provided by DeFRA).
The same goes for littering. While idverde and our PET team are cleaning-up problem spots, they aren’t working on the other areas that need attention.
How can you help?
The simplest way to help keep Lawley and Overdale Parish – and the rest of Britain – tidy, is by not leaving your litter behind. If there’s a bin nearby, put it in the bin. If there isn’t, or if the bin is full, please take your litter with you until you find a place to dispose of it responsibly.
Do you have some spare time, and would like to help keep our parish tidy? You might consider volunteering with the Street Champions, who regularly support community clean-ups.
And it goes without saying that you shouldn’t engage in fly-tipping. If you see an incident of fly-tipping has taken place, please report it.
Bulky waste collection services have now resumed. Find out how to book a collection.
Litter and COVID-19
Of particular concern is litter such as discarded face masks, gloves, used tissues, and other items that might be contaminated with coronavirus (COVID-19).
These place key workers and the general public at risk of catching the virus. Please dispose of such items properly.
If you see discarded face masks, gloves, or other PPE equipment, please report it immediately.
Enjoy our green areas responsibly
Lawley and Overdale Parish is lucky to have large green spaces for the whole community to enjoy – now more than ever. Do your part, report problems to the right people, and let’s make sure we keep them that way. We’re all in this together!
Keep Lawley and Overdale Parish Tidy!
Keep Britain Tidy!