What a load of rubbish!
29th March 2021
The last 12 months have certainly been a challenge for us all, in so many different ways. Like the majority of open spaces, the Commons have experienced huge increases in visitor numbers, estimated at upwards of a 300% increase. We are overjoyed to see so many faces now enjoying our beautiful space, but it has certainly put us under a little bit of pressure!
Our litter bins have been filling up at record speed, the hunt for a car parking space at Fir Tree car park is now a battle, our footpaths have been left churned up, muddy and wider than ever and we are seeing so much littering especially takeaway cups, napkins and food wrappings.
Saying goodbye
With increased visitors in mind, we have had to review our litter bin provision as it was creaking under the strain. After 13 years of servicing our litter bins on the Commons our contractor, Oakbourne, will be leaving us at the end of March. Familiar to some of you, Bryan and his small team have worked tirelessly to keep the Commons clean and tidy for us all to enjoy.
A new start
From 1st of April a new contractor will be starting a brand-new contract to service all 34 bins across both Commons. Instead of taking the waste away with them, like Oakbourne used to do, we have set up two mini bin store areas for the black sacks of rubbish to be deposited. One store is on Coach Road in Rusthall, notable by the fencing all around.
Coach Road bin store
The other store will be on the Upper Pantiles/Fairground car park off Major York’s Road. The bin stores will be serviced by Countrystyle, a large waste management company located in Kent.
Get in touch
We are confident that we have created a robust new system to ensure the Commons remain in tip top condition. But as ever, it would be natural to expect a few hiccups and as always we encourage you to contact us if you see something that just doesn’t seem right, so that we can get it sorted.
Thank you, thank you, thank you….
I can’t write a piece about litter without mentioning our huge army of fantastic volunteers who tirelessly litter pick for us. It’s an endless task but does make a huge difference and as ever we are so grateful. If you fancy joining a litter pick, please do get in touch, we provide all of the kit and arrange for disposal of the waste collected, it’s also a surprisingly fun way to spend an hour or so!
