14th December 2007, 07/438
Putting the brakes on abandoned trolleys
Hotspot areas in Skelmersdale prone to abandoned shopping trolleys
are to be targeted in a bid to keep the area clean and tidy.
For some years Skelmersdale's cloughs and watercourses have
suffered from supermarket trolleys being dumped, making certain
parts look unsightly.
So West Lancashire District Council, together with Action Douglas
and Yarrow and the Environment Agency recently carried out a survey
of the area to measure the extent of the problem and to draw up an
action plan to tackle the issue.
As a result the group have agreed to build on successful
initiatives such as 'Trolley Watch', community clean-up campaigns
and to focus on hotspot locations.
The Council's Street Scene section have pledged to remove trolleys
when reports come in of abandoned ones and to liase with the
supermarkets to ask them to keep a vigilant eye on the
situation.
They will also monitor hotspot areas on a regular basis and take
further action if problems persist.
Cllr David Westley, Portfolio Holder for Street Scene Management,
said: "The issue of abandoned trolleys has always been a problem in
Skelmersdale because people don't think twice about just throwing
them into the bushes or watercourses. As a result it makes the area
look terrible and although we try to clean the areas as quickly as
possible, we want to encourage residents and supermarkets to
acknowledge the work we are doing. Already we have carried out many
initiatives to tackle the problems with our partners and we have
enjoyed much success. I'm sure this further action plan will make
the area much cleaner, safer and greener."
Gemma Tomlinson, Project Co-ordinator for Action Douglas and
Yarrow, added: "Over the past couple of years we have helped to
organise very successful community clean-ups removing lots of
trolleys and rubbish from the River Tawd and surrounding Cloughs.
Even though there are fewer trolleys in Skelmersdale's watercourses
than in 2003 there are still some hotspots. As they say, many hands
make light work and working in partnership with the District
Council, Environment Agency and the supermarkets will make the
problem easier to tackle."
Further clean-ups will also be organised in the next few months to
further improve the appearance of the area.
This latest initiative compliments the many other services the
Council carries out to keep West Lancashire a garden district,
clean and green. To find out how the Council is keeping the area
tidy, visit the Refuse and Recycling section.
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