Newbury counts the cost of ‘litter louts’

The easing of lockdown restrictions has seen a welcome return of people to parks and recreation grounds, but has also brought a serious litter problem caused by careless and inconsiderate people, according to Newbury Town Council.

The Council reported that over the weekend and on Monday they had significant issues with litter/rubbish collection, particularly in Victoria Park, Wash Common, and Fifth Road, as well as elsewhere in Newbury.

The Council says that it has been overwhelmed with the amount of rubbish left both in waste and dog bins and around the various open spaces.  

Leader of the Council, Cllr Martin Colston called on people to behave responsibly and show consideration for other users of Newbury’s parks and recreation grounds.

“We are all very pleased to have some more freedom to meet up in parks and gardens and enjoy the sunny weather.

“However, some people leave their rubbish and ‘picnic gear’ behind, expecting others to clean up after them. The Council had to take several loads of rubbish out of Victoria Park alone in just 24 hours.  There was obviously some sort of party in Fifth Road as we have had to dispatch a team to clear away broken bottles et cetera,  then drop back to Wash Common where a large amount of “party” stuff has been dumped”.

He continued, “This comes at a time when our contractors are short-staffed and we are already hard pressed to deal with more important issues arising from the Coronavirus crisis.

“It’s great to see people enjoying the parks, but please don’t ruin it for others and don’t forget to exercise the social distancing and hand washing requirements”.