There are calls for a massive clean up in Salford Quays to remove the “piles of rubbish” floating in the waterways. Plastic bottles, packaging, and other items are being dumped in the water and collecting around the corners of the different basins. The issue will be brought up at a Salford council meeting tomorrow by Lib Dem councillor Paul Heilbron, who said there’s not enough being done to sort the problem out. Mr Heilbron told the Local Democracy Reporting Service that the amount of litter was even worse before the launch of the Clean Up the Quays campaign in 2020 – a scheme which sees residents take part in regular litter picking events in the area. But he added that there needs to be coordination between the council and private developers for long-term improvements to happen. He said: “Before we started our campaign the problem was horrendous, but it’s getting better now. I want to do more but I am constantly being told no for different reasons, it’s as if no one has the will or want to get it done. “But for me cleaning up the Quays is my number one priority. “There’s different spots where the rubbish piles up in the corners and it’s horrendous. There’s a lot of different developers who own different parts of the Quays. “There’s no joined up approach, it’s one of the most beautiful spots of nature in Greater Manchester and all I’m asking for is common sense, I’m trying to get private developers to do their bit.” Recent litter picks have seen record numbers of people attending, according to Coun Heilbron, who said groups of up to 30 people are taking part in the events, collecting as many as 50 bags of rubbish. At a council meeting tomorrow, Mr Heilbron will call for the town hall to meet the developers who own land around the waterways and create a joint plan of action to sort the problem. The Quays is one of the most sought-after neighbourhoods to live in Greater Manchester, with transport connections to both Salford and Manchester city centres and a number of businesses offering work opportunities. It’s an area that has seen huge changes in recent years, and been hailed as one of the UK’s most successful regeneration projects. Properties in the area can be sold for as much as £200,000, the majority of which are apartments. Councillor Barbara Bentham, lead member for environment, neighbourhoods, sports and leisure at Salford City Council, acknowledged that litter is a problem in the Quays, but said that the town hall is looking at ways to improve the situation. She said: “We recognise that there can be problems in the Quays area and there are specific hotspots where rubbish and litter accumulate. On the water, a number of rivers feed into the Quays basins with new litter and debris arriving on a daily basis, washed downstream. “Responsibility for maintaining the waterways and land at the Quays is shared across several partners and the council continues to look at how we can improve the situation and encourage all partners to play their part. “We tackle the issues in a number of ways, with a council commissioned litter boat regularly clearing the areas of water we are responsible for. The slipway is swept to help prevent a build-up of rubbish at Central Bay and once a month the inner bays of both the council and Peel owned water are cleaned at the same time. “On land, we have recently agreed a plan for works for the route from Merchant’s Quay to the rear of Copthorne and to the end of Clipper’s Quay. Teams will be out to undertake street cleansing, graffiti removal, removal of dead trees and maintenance of broken paving and painting of lamp posts. “A Salford City Council officer, based at the Quays, also proactively identifies areas that need addressing and we also listen to and respond to reports from the public which help to direct resources to areas it is needed.”
