Lockdown litter at beauty spot

Your photo of litter scattered round the bin on the Great Stour Way at Hambrook Marshes tells a sad story [Gazette, June 18]. During this period of lockdown, large numbers of people have been using the Great Stour Way and the Marshes for walking, jogging and cycling, getting the fresh air and exercise they need when they would otherwise be cooped up at home. As Michael Walter says, this “delightful oasis of greenery” has been “an absolute godsend to thousands of local people”.

But the increase in the numbers of people accessing this piece of

‘It can become rather dangerous trying to change history by destroying evidence of objects with which we may feel uncomfortable, or perhaps creating specious claims for removing them’

countryside so close to the city has brought with it an increase in litter. And as your article points out, Canterbury City Council and Serco have failed to respond to the calls for the litter bins to be emptied more frequently.

You quote council spokesman Rob Davies as saying that it’s not the fault of the council or Serco. He says that “the finger of blame is all too often pointed at the council” and that people should take their litter home if the bin is full.

I’m afraid that that is a classic example of a false “either-or”. It’s not a matter of the one or the other. Of course, if the bin is full, people should take their litter away and not just chuck it on the ground. That’s obvious.

But it’s equally obvious that council officers and Serco should increase the frequency of emptying a bin if it is continually overflowing, or install an additional bin.

People who leave their litter on the ground next to the bin are being irresponsible, but they are not simply being perverse. They take their litter to the bin because that’s where they expect to be able to dispose of it – and then find that they can’t. Many of us spend a lot of time and energy trying to keep the Great Stour Way and Hambrook Marshes accessible and litterfree. We are constantly using the council website to report the overflowing bin by the footbridge over the river to Wincheap. It would be much appreciated if council officers and Serco could get the message, increase the emptying schedule for the bin, and do their bit to tackle the problem and to keep the Great Stour Way an attractive place for local people.

Richard Norman

St Michael’s Place, Canterbury