Bank Holiday weekend leaves Clapham Common strewn with litter

Yesterday local volunteers helped Lambeth Council's park teams clear litter strewn across Clapham Common after the Bank Holiday weekend.

Despite their incredible efforts, the extent of mess left has sparked a debate over whether people who enjoyed the Bank Holiday sunshine on Clapham Common had rubbish attitudes or were let down by an ill-prepared Council.

Clapham resident Chloe Hogan was forced to walk her eight-month-old dachshund on his lead and on the opposite side of the Common to avoid the sea of beer bottles, cigarette butts and stuffed but abandoned orange Sainsbury's bags on Tuesday morning.

She said: "It was absolutely sick. There was just rubbish everywhere.

"It was the same last year and nothing has been done about it. I remember last year actually saying to myself thank God I don't have a dog, because there were just beer bottles everywhere."

Chairman of the Clapham Common Management Advisory Committee (CCMAC) Simon Millson forewarned the debris would double earlier this year.

In a CCMAC release back in March he said: "Based on last summer's experience, we know what is going to happen. As lockdown eases and people begin to congregate on the Common, we can expect more litter, double what it would normally be, and a need for more toilets".

In consequence of the high levels of litter seen last summer and in expectation of more of the same this year, Clapham Common now hosts more bins than ever before: 120 small bins, 55 large bins and 20 wheelie bins.

On Clapham Common North Side, a retired couple who asked to remain nameless said they were reluctant to blame Lambeth Council too harshly but felt this was a practical problem.

They said: "There are some people who simply don't care if they litter. 30% of this mess, it's made by people who aren't understandable.

"But I think a lot of people want to do something and they just don't have the vehicle to do it. 70% would clear up after themselves if you made it easier for them to do it".

Organisers of a petition launched yesterday to further increase the number of bins during the summer period make a similarly practical point that it will take longer to educate people to take their rubbish with them when bins are overflowing than provide a temporary solution.

On the petition the organisers, Best of South West, said: "We need more bins to reduce the amount of rubbish left on the common.

"Not only will it be more likely that people enjoying the common will dispose of their rubbish appropriately, but it will also mean that there will be less need for litter pickers etc the next day, thus reducing the cost to council".

Over 300 people signed the petition yesterday.

Those who wish to add their support can do so here

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