Online petition gains support to get dog waste bins in forest
A PETITION is underway to get dog waste bins installed in Macclesfield Forest.
Megan Morgan, who walks her German shepherd at the forest at least five nights a week, launched the online petition after and becoming sick of seeing dog mess left on the footpath and even hanging in bags from trees.
She decided to launch petition to Cheshire East council to get more bins and encourage more people to clean up.
She said: “As the weather has been improving more people are going up for walks and taking their dogs. Since it has become more popular, more dog mess is being left behind in bags or not picked up. In areas of the forest there are little or no facilities for disposing of dog mess or general litter. It isn’t a particularly nice sight walking through the forest having to hopscotch over dog mess and seeing bags hanging from trees.
“Bags of mess are left hanging from tree branches, thrown on the car park or the mess is left in the centre of the footpath. If bins were provided then it would give people somewhere to dispose of the bags and hopefully make the forest a cleaner and more pleasant place to be for walkers.”
People who have already signed Megan’s petition agree with her plea.
Francesca StubbsHayes said: “I have wanted more bins provided not just in Macclesfield Forest but all over Sutton and Langley for a long time. There are simply not enough. Some walks I have to carry a full bag for the entire walk, back to my home because I don’t pass a single bin.”
The forest is owned and managed by United Utilities and dog waste bins are emptied by Cheshire East council. Coun Hilda Gaddum, councillor for Sutton, said: “Unfortunately the reality is it’s extremely difficult to get the dust cart up into the forest and it needs to be considered how are they going to be emptied.
“Is it really beyond people to take it to the nearest bin? It seems like a very logical idea to get bins up there but is more complicated than you’d think and then you have to work out the cost, especially with cuts left right and centre.
“It’s down to everyone to clean up after their pets.”
A United Utilities spokesman said: “There are five bins for dog mess at strategic points throughout the forest.
“We are aware of the petition, and will discuss the concerns raised with local authorities in the coming weeks.”
A spokesman for the council , which has a historic agreement to empty United Utilities bins, said it would be water company’s responsibility to install any more.
To sign the petition go to change.org and search ‘Macclesfield forest’.