Cobholm Residents Receive Waste Management Education to Combat Litter

Residents in the Cobholm area of Great Yarmouth, Norfolk, who reported their streets and alleys were covered in rubbish due to fly-tipping, have received instruction on proper bin usage. The community had requested the council intervene to address the issue. Great Yarmouth Borough Council stated that its rangers provided guidance, distributed informational leaflets, and erected signs. James Wilson, the council’s head of environment, commented: “It’s about re-educating some people, to advise them exactly what the expectation is from the council – and what their responsibility is to keep their area clean and tidy.” The council intends to address litter issues next in the Barrack Estate. Jenny Butcher, 75, a Cobholm resident for over 50 years since her marriage, expressed being “ashamed” to reside near a passage filled with litter. She remarked, “That used to be tidy and over the last few years it’s got worse. I got so fed up with it we were sending photos to the council nearly every day.” Linda Osborne, 57, reported that the presence of malodorous waste prevented her nieces from playing outdoors. She further stated: “In the summer it was absolutely horrendous, because you had the seagulls just ripping the [bin] bags to shreds. There was raw food across the passage. It stunk, absolutely stunk.” The council team emphasized that depositing waste near or adjacent to bins constitutes fly-tipping. Kerry Hemsworth, an environmental ranger for the council, noted: “There were regularly 90 bins stored out in the passages. The information we sent to residents encouraged them to take their bins out of the passageways and store them within their properties. Where the bins weren’t numbered or identified, we put stickers on them, moved them to the ends of the passages and after a few days, ultimately, we removed them.” Subsequently, as fly-tipping decreased, “thank you” letters were dispatched. Residents observed a reduction in issues, and street cleaning teams encountered fewer overflowing bins. James Wilson, the authority’s head of environment and sustainability, indicated that the resulting cost savings could be reallocated. He stated: “This year we have had somewhere in the region of 4,500 fly-tips cleared. We have five crews out pretty much all the time, just dealing with fly-tipping alone. That’s a lot of resources and effort just to keep on top of waste that people should be able to manage themselves.”