Litter louts turn Forest Rec into ‘complete dump’
CITY COUNCIL PROMISES TO LOOK INTO RUBBISH PROBLEM
RESIDENTS say Nottingham’s Forest Recreation Ground is turning into a “complete dump”.
Litter has been left strewn across homes close to the Forest Rec tram stop.
Peter Robinson, 54, of Waterloo Crescent, described the problem as “absolutely disgusting”.
He added: “This is the worst place I’ve ever lived in my life.
“It’s a dead zone and the rubbish is everywhere and prostitution takes place.
“The council needs to do something. It’s a joke.”
Gabriella Lander, 22, of Noel Street, thinks the area is quite run down and fly-tipping is the biggest issue.
She said: “It’s quite common in this area to see prostitution, but my main issue is that my bins weren’t taken for weeks because people fly-tipped rubbish in them.
“It meant outside my house was a complete mess and it was irritating.
“There was also a recent drug raid on my road which made me feel a little unsafe.”
Sharon Anderson, 61, who works for Framework near the recreation ground, said: “I’m in the area a lot and I generally find it OK.
“One of my friends, though, doesn’t like to walk round the area at the night as she thinks it’s unsafe but I’ve never had any reason to think that.
“Maybe if I lived closer I would think differently, but I’m never really worried. The recreation ground itself is a lovely place, though, and I wish more people would use it – although the litter around it is a shame.”
Retiree Neil Thomas, 71, who lives near the rec, added: “I sometimes see that there’s been trouble with police and everything else but that happens everywhere.
“There are some people who leave litter on the side streets and there’s can and bottles in the park sometimes which is frustrating. But I think that’s hard to stop people doing.”
Forest Grove resident Cara Walters, 22, thinks the area is great for students.
She said: “The location is perfect, especially in the summer months as the recreation ground provides a space for students to stay active and be social.
“It can be quite noisy at times and the surrounding roads are notoriously busy.
“The council needs to do something about the rubbish but, with regards to safety, being surrounded by other students adds an element of comfort.”
Nottingham City Council said cleaning crews were incredibly busy, but promised to look into the situation.
Councillor Rosemary Healy, portfolio holder for cleansing services, said: “It is really disappointing that anyone would feel it’s acceptable to dump rubbish on the street like this – there’s really no excuse for it.
“It shows disrespect and presents a hazard to neighbours and would be so easy to deal with properly by either using the bins provided, taking extra waste to the recycling centre in Lenton or using our free bulk-waste service to dispose of larger items.
“Now that it’s been brought to our attention we will do our best to collect it as soon as possible – but our crews are very thinly-stretched at the moment.
“We are imploring people to show a little consideration for our staff and for others and do their bit to keep our city clean and tidy.”
Police and firefighters were called to Noel Street on August 6 to reports of a possible cannabis crop. The force’s drone and dogs were also used.
Assistant Chief Constable Rob Griffin said the force would not rest in its drive to tackle organised crime groups who bring serious crime and anti-social behaviour to people’s doorsteps.
He said: “Anyone living near an operation like this should be quite rightly worried about the risks they pose.
“But I would like to reassure them that Nottinghamshire Police is here to keep people safe – as we have shown in these recent warrants.
“If anyone has any suspicions about this type of criminal activity, I would urge them to let us know as soon as possible so we can act to keep their neighbourhoods safe. We will continue to relentlessly pursue those who are behind the growing of cannabis.”
Four arrests were made and £600,000-worth of cannabis was recovered.