Fly tipping hot spot gets spring clean
28 Apr 2014 03:59 PM
The Environment Agency,
Stockton Borough Council and local social enterprise are teaming up to clean
local stream
The Environment Agency, The
Skill Mill and Stockton Borough Council are teaming up this year to support the
spring by organising a clean-up of Lustrum Beck in Stockton on
Tees.
Following the success of
previous clean-ups in other areas the teams are joining forces, this time in
Stockton-On-Tees, to clear debris such as shopping trolleys, traffic cones,
tyres and other fly-tipped items with the aim to reduce the risk of flooding
and improve the appearance of the area.
The Skill Mill, based in
Newcastle is a social enterprise which specialises in flood risk management
through water course maintenance and other environmental improvements. The
Skill Mill provides employment with training for you people ages 16-18 and
works throughout the North East of England.
David Parks, Director of the
Skill Mill said:
Encouraging organisations and
people to collaborate on community projects are the most sustainable way of
engaging the community in the importance of keeping areas cleans and waterways
free of debris that can contribute to flooding.
Involving local young people in
the clean up provides an example to the community and hopefully encourages
people everyone to consider the very damaging impact of littering and fly
tipping on the environment.
The Environment Agency has an
annual maintenance programme to clear obstructions from rivers that might cause
a flood risk. The councils will help to collect any debris and litter and take
it away for safe disposal or to be recycled.
Andrew Foster in the Environment
Agency’s Field Operations team said:
The Environment Agency normally
only removes debris that could cause an obstruction, and a flood risk. So this
is another great opportunity to pool resources with the councils to clear all
litter and debris we find in the rivers and have a thorough spring
clean.
Our teams are trained to work in
deep water, using specialised equipment and protective suits to remove debris
from the river. Last year we had a few surprises, especially when we pulled an
old dentist’s chair out of the river. We also collected up to 30 tyres
from the river in Darlington. Fly-tipped rubbish is not only unsightly, but
could increase the risk of flooding in bad weather if it gets washed further
downstream.