Over the past few years a group of volunteers – Ramsey River Care group – has been keeping the river in Ramsey clear of litter but this activity had to stop due to Covid-19 restrictions.
Sadly, since this activity stopped, the river in Ramsey – or High Lode as it is called at the north end of Town – has become covered in litter. This is not only unsightly but spoils the riverbanks for anglers, is potentially harmful to wildlife and adds to the plastic content of our waterways.
This has been confirmed by Peter Beckenham, Conservation Officer for the Middle Level Commissioners who said:
” I have been receiving lots more emails recently about litter near our rivers and drains and a lot of people are collecting it up themselves. I have been helping to get rid of the litter for them but this is not sustainable. I think the recent heavy water flows are pushing the litter much further along the water courses than normal. “
It isn’t clear why there has been this sudden increase – one theory is that it could be the result of the closure/reduced access to the municipal recycling centres.
James Chrisp, local resident and canoeist, has been clearing the litter on a regular basis recently and has noticed:
” Rubbish sacks full of what looks like recycling waste which have split open , spilling plastic and rubbish all over the banks and into the water.”
But there is good news, Lynsey Stafford of River Care is concerned about this problem and knows that there are local residents who share this concern too, so she will be starting the litter pick groups upas soon as possible once lockdown ends. But this time with a difference – the steep banks of the High Lode mean it is impossible to collect all the litter from the bankside so the group is asking for help from the canoeing world as well.
Any Ramsey (or nearby) resident who would like to help clear the litter, from the banks or from a canoe, is asked to contact Lynsey at: lynsey.stafford@keepbritaintidy.org. to register their interest.
