Litter epidemic shames reputation of Leeds – Yorkshire Post Letters

IT was very disheartening to see the scenes of litter dumped on Woodhouse Moor in Leeds and other green spaces across the land (The Yorkshire Post, April 1).

It is not just litter left by groups of younger people on hot sunny days though. On my walks and cycles around West Yorkshire, I find rubbish thrown from cars at the side of the road from a range of fast-food outlets and coffee shops.

Whilst I agree with most of the editorial piece (Litter Britain; where’s our civic pride?) in the same edition, it is not wholly down to individuals.

The Government has had years to be able to introduce a deposit return scheme for bottles and cans, as used in other nations such as Germany for decades – but only last week they introduced yet another round of consultation on this issue.

Seeing the pictures from Woodhouse Moor shows that charging 10p for a plastic bag is little deterrent to leading to plastic bags going to landfill, but some retailers such as Morrisons have seized the initiative and have stopped producing plastic bags like these.

Finally, many companies are producing items and packaging that we simply do not need – along with a wider issue of cheap consumer goods and fast 
fashion, many people seem to think we belong in a ‘throw-away’ society.

The editorial piece talks about a collective sense of pride. I think this collective needs to come from the people, but also the Government and corporations coming together with much support from our media. Over to all of us!

From: Crispin Thorn, Yorkshire and North East Forestry Commission director.

THE easing of lockdown restrictions is welcome news and the prospect of meeting up with friends and family outside in larger groups will be a relief for many.

We are expecting open spaces to be particularly busy once restrictions are eased and we enter a period of school holidays and bank holiday weekends.

Yorkshire offers a wide range of opportunities to meet and socialise in green spaces and open countryside, but it is important people are considerate of the environment.

Visitors should make sure to follow the Countryside Code, take litter home with them, as well as adhering to the latest Covid guidelines.

In recent years, we have also seen a number of damaging wildfires which are often started by disposable barbecues. The fires are a danger to life as well as local ecosystems, as they damage moorland, peat soils, trees and impact valuable habitats and wildlife such as birds, reptiles and insects.

Landowners in Yorkshire are united in asking visitors not to set fires or use barbecues unless in a designated area.

From: Barry Foster, High Stakesby, Whitby.

WHAT a disgusting state Hyde Park, Leeds, was left in. I would be ashamed to live there. Surely people have some common sense and should have been brought up in a decent manner?

Society is fast becoming uncaring. Can someone tell me why, in this time of Covid, we seem to have much litter left about? It is time the courts dealt with those who do not keep the rule of law. ‘Community Pay Back’ would be an ideal way to make those toe the line. As my life goes on, I simply despair.

From: Keith Massey, Bishopthorpe, Leeds.

I KNOW we have been in lockdown, but what were the young Leeds sunseekers thinking when they all congregated at local parks when we had a touch of freedom bestowed on us?

I feel so sorry for the young who have been badly affected in this pandemic but, at the same time, so have we older and more vulnerable citizens who have been locked away and doing our bit? I only hope that this behaviour will not threaten the virus statistics. Let’s not wreck our chances when freedom’s so close.

I don’t want to be Victor Meldrew, but the gathering appeared to be inconsiderate and the debris of rubbish was an absolute selfish disgrace that shames the city of Leeds.

From: Tim Farron, Lib Dem MP for Westmorland and lonsdale.

IT’S fantastic to see the Countryside Code finally being given a proper relaunch to encourage visitors to respect the local environment, wildlife, livestock and local
communities.

For it to have proper impact, we now need to be seeing the Code constantly on television, on the radio, in newspapers and everywhere throughout the summer.

Let’s protect, respect and 
enjoy our wonderful 
countryside.

From: Henry Cobden, Ilkley.

TO those aspiring to be police commissioners, what would you do to tackle litter? Do tell. It could be your job.

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