COUNTRYSIDE NOTES LITTER MAY 2018

An Eastmoor resident contacted Barton Bendish Parish Council recently because she is appalled by the amount of litter that has accumulated along the roadsides. I think everybody is. But what can be done about it? I’m very much afraid that the answer is that we pick it up ourselves. Sadly there is no way we can prevent that certain mentality of people from winding down their car window and lobbing it out. In my opinion the situation is going to get even worse now Norfolk County Council have introduced charges for disposing of DIY waste at their tips. Previously this had been limited, but at least was free. Now, measured by the 80 litre bag full (largest sized compost bag,) the tip at Crimplesham will continue to take rubble and wood but now charge £3 per bag and £5 for non-recyclable waste. They won’t take flat glass, plaster board or tyres, (these can be disposed of at the King’s Lynn site for a charge of £5, £9 and £4 each respectively). How naïve is it to think that everyone will be willing to hand over their hard earned cash? What will they do instead? They’ll tip it out on the verge or in a layby somewhere. It’s estimated the authority will save £280,000. They might as on past form not a lot has been spent on removing either litter or fly tipped items. I am disgusted at the number of old household appliances which are accumulating between the slip road exiting Swaffham by pass and the boundary fence of the Breckland District Council run Splashes travellers site. With their efforts to promote Swaffham as a tourist attraction surely it would be in the local council’s interest to keep this particular stretch of road verge looking good. After all they are responsible for managing the site and are hardly setting a good example by turning a blind eye to this shameful situation. If you, or I, dumped an old fridge by the roadside outside our property we’d very soon be receiving a letter from the local council. By the way it’s worth knowing that Frimstone Ltd, (near Crimplesham tip) will take bricks, slabs, stone, concrete and soil and charities such as Sue Ryder, Age UK, the Red Cross and British Heart Foundation will collect unwanted saleable furniture and electrical items for free. Then there is Michael Gove’s proposed charge of up to 22p on every single-use plastic or glass bottle and aluminium or steel can! I religiously recycle everything that’s acceptable so will that mean I’ve got to cart bottles and cans back to where I shop to get a refund? Either that or I’ll be out of pocket if I put them in the recycling bin. Have we got to pay the price for other people’s irresponsible behaviour? Litter on the verges of roads and lanes is a disgrace but unless a way can be found to educate those louts to respect our environment I suppose it will fall to us locals to do our best.

Jill Mason