Sheffield Council increases efforts to tackle park litter following further complaints
Sheffield Council has increased it’s waste collection services in the city’s parks following further complaints about litter being consistently left behind by visitors.
The authority, and its contractors Amey and Veolia, are currently clearing in excess of four tonnes of waste per day from Endcliffe Park and the Porter Valley.
Teams are working seven days a week, from 6am until 8pm, emptying bins and litter picking.
Extra bins have been added in busy locations, including Endcliffe park where the bins are being collected up to three times a day.
Councillor Mary Lea, Cabinet Member for Culture, Parks and Leisure at Sheffield Council, said: “The warm weather naturally brings large numbers of people into our parks to enjoy themselves, and although it may not appear so, most of our residents are proud of their parks and dispose of their rubbish properly and act responsibly.
“Unfortunately it only takes a few to act irresponsibly, resulting in the mess we’ve seen left behind and the continued anti-social behaviour that has made it difficult for local people to enjoy Endcliffe and nearby parks.
“We are working extremely hard to manage waste within our parks, especially at Endcliffe which seems to be worst hit. Some people think the council isn’t doing enough, but we are doing a lot. Not just in Endcliffe Park but in parks across the city.”
Many residents have also been helping in the clear up, including Ben and his four-year-old son Finn Hackett who proudly earned five pence in pocket money for every item collected.
Coun Lea added: “Of course we want people to be able to relax and have fun in the outdoors, but there is absolutely no excuse for leaving rubbish in the park. It’s very simple, if it can be carried in full, it can be carried out empty.
“In addition to problems with litter, I understand that a range of anti-social behaviour issues are happening frequently, and how concerning these are for other park visitors and for people who live nearby. We are working closely with South Yorkshire Police to manage these issues and extra patrols are now in place.
“I encourage local people to report any incidents so that they can be dealt with.”
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