A plan to stop rubbish and litter clogging up Salford’s waterways is set to be launched.
Salford City Council today agreed new steps to tackle the problem after growing concerns about the impact of rubbish ending up in waters around the city, especially in Salford Quays.
Quays residents have sounded the alarm about “commercial” level waste washing into the area from Greater Manchester’s rivers, with one local claiming fire extinguishers and other large items are being pulled from the water during litter picks.
The new plan to address the issue will bring together businesses, community groups, and council officials to find ways to reduce the amount of rubbish in the city’s rivers and water systems.
This includes calling for owners of waterways to clean up and maintain the waters under their control.
The matter was raised at a council meeting on September 18 at Salford Civic Centre by Coun Paul Heilbron, who represents the Quays ward.
The Lib Dem councillor urged developers in the area to “do their bit” to sort the problem out and welcomed expanding the plan across Salford.
He said polluted waterways are the “most pressing concern” of residents in the ward, but that the “complex ownership of the waterways” in the Quays – split between four different owners and developers – has made it difficult to stamp out.
Mr Heilbron added that there is a perception among the public that the council owns all the Salford Quays waterways, and this is letting developers “get off scot-free” from taking responsibility for clearing rubbish.
The problem gets worse after strong weather, Coun Michael Pevitt said, adding: “There’s nothing worse after a storm than walking by the River Irwell and the Quays and seeing all the rubbish in the water.”
Local community groups have been trying to improve the situation by organising litter picks, but the problem needs more action from the council, Mr Heilbron said.
He told the Local Democracy Reporting Service last week that rubbish has become a “blight” on Salford Quays, which he described as “one of the most iconic and vibrant areas of our city.”
Salford Labour Party proposed the plan be rolled out “city wide” to sort out litter problems in all of Salford’s waterways.
Mayor Paul Dennett said Salford’s waters are an “asset” in the city, but agreed that more could be done to protect them.
The plan was also supported by the Conservatives with the backing of Tory leader Robin Garrido – a rare moment of consensus between the three political parties represented in the council chamber.
Coun Garrido said: “We have many waterways in most of the wards in the city, whether they be canals, lakes or brooks.
“It’s really important we extend the ability to look at all of these and use our community committees in our areas to follow through on these.”
