Letter about Brighton and Hove littering taken to the top

10:00am Friday 14th September 2012 in News

Letter about Brighton littering taken to the top Letter about Brighton littering taken to the top

Prime Minister David Cameron could give his thoughts on littering in Brighton and Hove.

This summer has seen several occasions of the beach being left in a terrible state following sunny weather as people leave their rubbish behind.

It has prompted our Take It Home campaign, highlighting the damage done to our environment by litterers.

Now Hove MP Mike Weatherley has written to David Cameron to see what can be done to tackle the issue.

He said: “Sadly, litter is a problem right across the country. I thought that it was important to draw the Prime Minister’s attention to how bad the situation is and highlighted to him the awful state of our city’s beaches after a sunny weekend.

“It’s a complete waste of taxpayers’ money and we shouldn’t have to put up with it. I hope to hear back soon what powers we have to deal with the situation.

“I am aware that a number of countries around the world have demonstrated innovative, effective strategies to combat litter.

“For example, Australia’s government recently launched a long-running media campaign that was designed to educate citizens and encourage a sense of pride in their public spaces, with the effect of drastically reducing litter and local government cleaning costs alongside it.”

Rubbish weighing as much as three double-decker buses was left strewn across Brighton beach on the messiest weekend of the year.

Brighton and Hove City Council said staff removed more than 23 tonnes of rubbish fromthe seafront over the weekend of August 18 and 19.

The Argus, in conjunction with the Marine Conservation Society’s Big Beachwatch weekend, has organised a clean-up and survey of the litter on Brighton beach.

Together with the Sea Life Centre, volunteers will be cleaning the beach from 10am on Sunday.

Anyone who comes along will get free entry to the Sea Life Centre that day.

Volunteers should meet at the Sea Life Centre at 10am, wearing sturdy footwear and gloves if they have them.

Under-16smust be accompanied by an adult.

If you would like to come along, call Peter Truman on 01273 544525 or email peter.truman @theargus.co.uk

Comments(10)

rolivan says...
10:43am Fri 14 Sep 12

I received a postcard from a friend who had moved abroad which amongst other things said "it is so much better than the couldn't care less attitude of the British"
That just about sums it up.

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chrisinbrighton says...
10:46am Fri 14 Sep 12

We could keep the rubbish out of Brighton by stopping Cameron & cronies coming here

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F in L says...
10:51am Fri 14 Sep 12

It will be probably be binned! Hey! Perhaps Kirby in his new 'influential' position in Government could have a word when he takes the Tea in!

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redwing says...
11:02am Fri 14 Sep 12

What is as frightening as the wantonly littering people we have become, is the sheer quantity of packaging with which there is to do it. Much of today's wrappings and cartons didn't exist a few decades ago and much of it contains 'food' and 'drink' of no or very little nutritional worth.
I can't help feeling that a giant litter pick only tackles the problem from one end and that a small mountain of rubbish that laudably is removed this weekend will simply then go on to be relocated elsewhere. There's no recycling arrangements for heaps of foil film and cartons, plastic wrappings and containers. And although much of what will be picked up is potentially recyclable there is some doubt about how much this is really happening in a sustainable way, i.e. not shipped half way round the world to be landfilled whilst impoverished people scavenge from it. Knowing that makes it harder to have any faith in it being worthwhile.

Cameron's "big society" will no doubt love this one day organised clean up. But it's a temporary and illusory solution. He has no interest in regulating the food and drink industry that profits from such damaging consumption and that doesn't just produce a blight of litter, but poisons our health too. His friends and Mike Weatherley's have all the shares in it.

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HJarrs says...
11:23am Fri 14 Sep 12

If you think back, we used to have a Keep Britain Tidy campaign in the media in the 70s and 80s and this is exactly the sort of thing the Tories would say is nanny state and should be stopped. Interesting to see them backtrack on this idea. Of course it is an opportunity for taxes to be lavished on private PR and advertising companies not that the PM came from that background.

I think a well placed media campaign would be worthwhile as would more bins in public places, national policies on reducing packaging (how are local authorities supposed to change the practice of multinationals?) and how about a national return to a system of deposits for bottles.

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olebut says...
12:06pm Fri 14 Sep 12

One problem in many towns and elsewhere in the country is the lack of litter bins ( which could be segregated) I appreciate that that does not force people to put their litter in it. In Efteling in Holland they have talking litter bins, some of which are shaped like animals and etc.and simply say thank you when litter is placed in them. There is no litter because children rush round picking up any they see just to make the bin speak. Could be an ideal idea for at least the seafront and beach in Brighton and Hove. The other suggestion is that all cafes and take aways should provide adequate numbers of bins around their premises and perhaps all cups etc should be printed with the name of the cafe.

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Hoarder12345444 says...
12:22pm Fri 14 Sep 12

rolivan wrote:
I received a postcard from a friend who had moved abroad which amongst other things said "it is so much better than the couldn't care less attitude of the British" That just about sums it up.
Yep exactly. One of my neighbours threw rubbish into the communal garden the other morning, I'll be complaining about that. Most people dont care a jot do they about littering.

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Roundbill says...
4:22pm Fri 14 Sep 12

So let's get this straight: all the out-of-towners come down and dump their litter on the beach, and the locals organise a voluntary clean-up. How does that encourage the perpetrators to change their ways?

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Morpheus says...
5:32pm Fri 14 Sep 12

Is the PM really expected to get involved in this trivia? No wonder the country and the beach is in a mess.

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All 9 of me says...
6:11pm Sun 16 Sep 12

I think some Brighton residents should guard the beaches with flaming pitchforks and sharpened torches, just to make the visitors feel welcome. Alternatively, some of the whingers on here could go down, and just start talking, I am quite sure warm bullsh*t can speed up the process of decomposing the litter

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