2 May 2024

Easter Litter Pick-Me Up in Laverstock & Ford Parish

Laverstock & Ford Parish residents are avid Wombles and do their best to keep the streets where they live looking lovely.

This year, the Milford Area Preservation Group, the Old Sarum Litter Wombles, and residents of Bishopdown Farm, accompanied by local Scouts, have all held community litter picks in a variety of weather conditions!

During the Easter holidays, Laverstock & Ford Parish Council joined forces with two local Housing organisations, Abri and Selwood Housing, and the Old Sarum & Longhedge Community Centre to hold a slightly soggy – Litter Pick-Me-Up, made bearable by a supply of cake and hot drinks provided by the Community Pantry.

The event was also supported by Idverde, who supplied hoops, bags and high-vis jackets for the litter pick around Old Sarum and Longhedge in April.

Ricky Chahal, Abri‘s Community Safety Officer, joined Cllrs Lynn, Williams and Jones and Parish Council Operations Officer Richard Heather to run the event.

Councillor Estelle Williams said, “Thank you to everyone who came; we were particularly impressed by Mrs Samway, who joined us during her lunchbreak with her daughter and son, who is doing his Duke of Edinburgh Award and has been enjoying a number of volunteering experiences locally as part of this“.

Numerous items were unearthed from hedges, having been dumped over garden fences, along with twelves bags of litter.

Most of these items could have been taken to the Household Waste & Recycling Centre at Churchfields, which is open 9 – 4 p.m. (closed Thursdays). If your large goods are unsuitable for reuse, the council can collect them from outside your property for a charge. They are unable to enter your property to collect large items and cannot collect commercial items.

If an item is not on the list, call 0300 456 0102 as some other items can be collected by special arrangement.

SEE HERE FOR MORE INFO: https://www.wiltshire.gov.uk/large-item-collection

The UKHSA advice issued to the Salisbury area following the Novichok incident states, ‘if you didn’t drop it, then don’t pick it up,’ remains in place.

Parish Clerk Trudi Deane contacted UKHSA South West, who told her that, “There is ongoing work to risk assess this position, and any changes to this advice will be communicated accordingly, but unfortunately, we don’t have a confirmed timeline yet for the outcome of this review.

Written by
Andy Munns
View all articles
Written by Andy Munns