Wombles of Spalding Common litter picker responds to Boston Borough Council’s community skips scheme and its benefits if introduced by South Holland District Council

A fed-up litter picker says that ‘certain areas might benefit’ if a community skips scheme was introduced to combat fly-tipping and waste disposal.

Peter Bird from the Wombles of Spalding Common group feels that South Holland District Council should follow the suit of its partner, Boston Borough Council, in providing a series of skips to help residents get rid of unwanted rubbish.

The Wombles have spoken out about feeling dismayed by constantly clearing the same areas along with feeling ‘let down’ by the council.

And now Mr Bird is calling on the council to ‘get a backbone’ along with holding landlords or letting agents responsible for piles of rubbish which blight the streets of Spalding and the surrounding district.

Mr Bird said: “It is all very well to provide extra refuse collections but this is just pampering to their needs - they need to educate people and the council needs to get a backbone.

“Certain areas might benefit if there was a skip there but certain places in the town centre wouldn't bother.

“There is always a residential area behind Boots that is stacked up with rubbish and I don't know why they don't hold the landlord and letting agents responsible.

“A lot of these people know that if they put their rubbish out and they don't care where or what day it gets picked up and that is the mentality that has got to change.”

Some demoralised volunteers in the group are stopping their litter picking in certain areas because rubbish reappears as quickly as it is cleared away by the team.

Mr Bird said: “One of the Wombles is so fed up with going over the same stuff.

“She is stopping at Acklam Avenue, off Royce Road, as she is so fed up with going over the same stuff

“She is not giving up Wombling altogether, but just in that area.”

Boston Borough Council is trialling the community skip scheme in St George’s Road gives people the chance to dispose of unwanted household items, including furniture, mattresses, artificial Christmas trees and large electrical goods such as cookers, dishwashers, washing machines.

Mr Bird feels that there is a lot to be done if South Holland was to introduce a similar scheme as his group has picked up car seats, syringes and human faeces during past litter picks.

He said: “I think the proof of the pudding will be if they actually do it.”

Mr Bird also feels there could be more done by SHDC with signage in different languages regarding waste in order to help Polish and Lithuanian residents understand rules around waste.

He said: “There is a language barrier with residents who might not use English as their first language.

“I don't know why the council can’t send them a letter to say if we have to collect extra rubbish from outside your properties we will charge you for them.

“There are a lot of workers on the ground that are helpful but there are not enough of them.”

The Boston scheme will run during August, September and November with the skips open from 8am to 3pm on Monday, August 19 and 26, Monday, September 2 and 9 and Monday, November 4,11,18, 25.

They will be attended by officers, who will manage the waste transfer process, and the council believes the programme is a positive step when it comes to keeping the borough’s streets cleaner.

The Wombles have been clearing litter since 2021 and members can collect 25 bags of rubbish a day from areas that smell strongly of urine and are attracting rats.

What do you think about the community skips scheme? Would it help to tidy the area up? Post your comments below…