Devon town centre rubbish reaches alarming levels

It's where 'seagulls have a party'

The state of Tiverton’s town centre has reached alarming levels, councillors have said. At Tiverton Town Council’s September meeting, concerns over rubbish, fly-tipping, and overgrown paths and how they are tarnishing the town's image and threatening wildlife were heard.

In the same discussion, they also praised unsung heroes—volunteers and local residents—who tirelessly helped to clean up the mess.

Councillor Rebecca Clarke highlighted the situation at Romans Way, where one resident’s dedication to maintaining a local footpath has uncovered examples of neglect.

"In 2018, one of the residents collected 17 bags of rubbish from the footpath behind her property, and the problems are still ongoing,” she said. “I commend resident Sally Cole for doing this work."

Cllr Clarke continued: “Recently, she found two dustbin liners of household possessions, including a new paint roller. Another time, she discovered a dead shrew inside a discarded wine bottle.

“Another problem residents in the area have is that calls for no dog fouling notices have seemingly fallen on deaf ears.”

Cllr Clarke urged the council to take action and asked, "What advice can I give Mrs Cole and the residents of Romans Way? They are asking for help, and we must support their efforts to keep Tiverton clean and protect wildlife."

Councillor Becket Fish, speaking during questions to Mid Devon District Council members, added his voice to the growing concerns.

“I've had similar issues in Cranmore where there are problems with some of the pavements just seriously overgrowing, and some of the curbs have weeds all over them.

“There is Street Scene at Mid Devon who will take emails about these concerns. The pavements are with Devon County Highways.

“It is a problem, and we're seeing it all over the place. We need to try and work together to keep an overall view as to what's going on and report it as much as possible.

“We had one on Canal Hill where a fridge had been dumped overnight, and people couldn't walk up and down the pavement. These things that are happening, it's just knowing where to go which is a challenge.”

While rubbish and fly-tipping are serious issues, Councillor Sue Griggs focused on another persistent problem—seagulls. "Every time the rubbish bags are left out, the seagulls have a party, and litter is everywhere. It’s awful for anyone coming to town. The simple solution is to give businesses seagull-proof bags," she said.

In response, Cllr Fish reassured Cllr Griggs and the council that steps were being taken. “I’ve noticed more seagull bags out, so hopefully, we’ll get some traction on that.”

Despite the challenges, the council was unanimous in its praise for the community’s volunteers.

Councillor Jason Lejeune said: "Over the last few weeks, I met a gentleman in Westexe who’s been cutting hedges back. I also joined our Cub group for a litter pick around Westexe Rec, and we collected 12 bags of rubbish.”

However, Cllr Lejeune raised an important question: “What can people do with these extra rubbish bags? Where can Ron, who’s cutting the hedges, put the garden waste which isn’t his?”

Cllr Fish responded, "These people are champions, and they should be applauded for what they’re doing. They need to contact Street Scene, and if there’s any problem, we can help ensure the waste gets collected.”

Mayor Neal Davey echoed these sentiments, praising the Tiverton Volunteer Litter Pickers: “They go out once a month, arrange a meeting point, and work with the district council to have their collected bags picked up. It’s a great system.”

Devon County Council member Councillor Colin Slade said there were ways to report these issues and have them addressed.

"Overgrown footpaths can be reported on Devon County Council’s website, and if there’s a safety concern, it will be dealt with promptly. Fly-tipping can be reported through Mid Devon’s problem page," he advised.