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Aug 17, 2023

Bolton: Call to clean up Queens Park after fly

More could soon be done to tackle fly-tipping in parks after recent images

More could soon be done to tackle fly-tipping in parks after recent images showed the extent of pollution one of Bolton's favourite beauty spots.

The images shared with The Bolton News by a member of the public show that shopping trollies had been left water spaces, while fish and wildlife seem to have declined at Queens Park.

A resident who walks across the park regularly says he has noticed a steep decline over the years.

He said: "I was brought up by my parents on the other side of Queens Park and when I was growing up there we used to fish regularly.

A trolley has been left in the park for some time (Image: Public)

"I now live on the other side of town, but I walk my dog there every day."

He added: "I just think its such a shame, you never see any fish there at all and it used to be absolutely teeming with them."

The photographs he provided show trolleys left in the water and a marked lack of wildlife at the popular Queens Park site.

Calls have been made to clean up the park (Image: Public)

In response, the council's newly minted executive cabinet member for climate change and environmental service, Cllr Richard Silvester, says that he has asked his officers to look at how they can prioritise dealing with incidents like these.

He said: "Firstly can I thank the resident who has brought this to the attention of The Bolton News and has taken the time to take the photographs of the littering which very sadly occurs in the bottom ponds at Queens Park.

The park is one of the most popular in Bolton (Image: Public)

"I myself am a user of Queens Park, I live opposite to it and walk to work into town every day through the park and past the bottom ponds.

"On my walk each day, I pick up litter, plastic bottles, cans, crisp packets etc and put them in the nearest bin of which there are plenty around the park.

"It's a lovely park but unfortunately we have individuals who think its just OK to thrown such litter on the ground and sadly into the bottom ponds.

"As the majority of us know, its not ok to do that."

Wildlife and the environment have been affected (Image: Public)

Cllr Silvester, who now represents the Queens Park and Central ward, says he has also asked officers if the supermarket can be charged for recover of the trolley.

He said: "Our council parks operatives do a great job however tidying up the park and I regularly see them litter picking and scooping out litter thrown into the ponds using a net on the end of a long pole and clearing litter out of the River Croal which runs through the park.

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"Bolton North litter pickers also do fantastic work clearing litter and fly tipping from this immediate area of Queens Park and the River Croal as well and I thank them for everything that they do.

"Unfortunately, because of the most severe budget cuts in the history of local government which has taken place under this Conservative government, council's including the council struggle to cope with fly tipping.

"I have asked my officers with the present budget that they have to work with, set by the previous Conservative council, if they are able to prioritise how fly tipping incidents are dealt with which includes dumped items in our parks and local nature reserves.

"I will await their report to see what more can be done to clean up our borough and prevent incidents such as highlighted occurring."

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