LITTER PROBLEM
Seedy Midhurst - Our Litter Spots
Violet Designs Sponsors Midhurst Pages

WHEN THE COWDRAY RUINS IS REVEALED IN ALL ITS NEW-FOUND GLORY, THE SCAFFOLDING REMOVED, AND THE CAUSEWAY TASTEFULLY RESURFACED, THIS VIEW IS BOUND TO BECOME ICONIC.
Please help to keep The Cowdray Castle Causeway free of litter, and make certain your dogs don't foul either the track or its margins.

Community Litter Pick Team Cleans the Causeway and the Causeway Bridge. Brokered deal between the main parties breaks log-jam. Final solution to the Litter Problem now in sight.
Full Story here Soon.

Jenny Lynch (South Downs Joint Committee) Jean Hicks, the Costello Family & friends - The Community Team.
The Cowdray contingent missed the Group Photo. The Causeway Bridge now looking clean and free of bottles.

Litter - the seedy side to Midhurst. There are three important areas in and near the Town where we need eternal vigillance to prevent a problem with litter and litter-louts. The Bus Station, The Causeway & the Causeway Bridge and South Pond. There are, of course, other areas where litter is thrown and is unsightly; but these areas are highly visible to visitors and 'locals' alike and need constant attention. You can help by contacting Chichester District Council when a litter build-up occurs in the townscape. Take digital pictures of the litter and send them by email to: Richard Gill. rgill@chichester.gov.uk Make certain you get landmarks in the picture so the offending spot may be identified.

CDC are responsible for litter in the town streets, and car parks.. The land owner, over which a public footpath goes, is responsible for litter on his/her land. Because the management of the Causeway Footpath and the Causeway Bridge surrounds is a current source of public concern Midhurst Pages is carrying out a major investigation into the problem and will publish its findings over the next few weeks. We have emailed Richard Gill and have written to Robert Windle of the Cowdray Estate. Mr Windle returns from holiday on the 8th of August we are told.

To learn more about the law on litter and how you can play an active part please read this document. When it comes down to litter every citizen has a right to seek compliance under The Environment Protection Act 1990, though we all have a duty not to produce the litter in the first place. The Act, however, does not appear to cover private land. (We've learnt more since writing this. See Litter Clearance Notice below)

Now read about the other huge problem: fly posting and roadside advertisements.

Editor's Comment. The Cowdray Ruins Causeway Path and Causeway Bridge are used by thousands of visitors to Midhurst every year and daily by scores of our own citizens. It is, so to speak, our shop window. Its present state is a very unsatifactory and the clean up arrangements are obviously not working. Until all parties have had a chance to meet and hopefully agree a long term solution to the Causeway, we - the community - should do a clean up of the Causeway ourselves. A clean-up party initiated by me but organised by Jenny Linch (South Downs Joint Committee) and Jean Hicks will meet at the entrance to the Causeway at 1.0 - 4.0 pm on Friday 11th of August. If you are free to attend please join us then.

Since writing the above I've received information 'on good authority' that provisions relating to Litter Control Areas in the EPA 1990 have been repealed and replaced with a new system of Litter Clearance Notices.  The guidance is that the local authority should encourage the landowners/occupiers to resolve problems caused by heavily littered land and only issue a Litter Clearance Notice when such persuasion fails.(See Litter Clearance Notice below)

When I inspected the stone surrounds of the Causeway Bridge today (Aug 3rd) with Jenny Linch I was appalled at the defacement of the stone and the amount of graffitti. This problem will also have to be addressed in any maintenance arrangement in future. Six children were sitting on the scaffolding boards on the north side of the bridge at the time we inspected it. Jenny asked them if they would help in a clean up. I didn't hear their answer! The principal cause of all this litter and defacement are some children from Midhurst Grammar School and I was having discussions with Mr Benge about what could be done to inculcate a more respectful attitude to the environment when he upsticks and leaves. We need to get the kids involved in Midhurst and to take ownership. Jenny's absolutely right about this. How do we go about it? Please put your ideas and suggestions in the Forum... come on.. do it now.. don't leave it until tomorrow!

Here it is chapter and verse:

Litter Clearance Notice

Recent legislation introduced under section 20 of the Clean Neighbourhoods Act 2005 will also introduce new powers to tackle any types of land that are deemed to be causing defacement, because of the presence of litter and refuse so as to cause a detriment to the amenity of the neighbourhood.

Under these new powers the Council may serve a ‘Litter Clearance Notice’ requesting the owner/occupier to clear the land of litter and refuse and to take reasonable steps to prevent it from becoming so defaced, should the Council be satisfied that it is likely to become defaced by litter and refuse.

Failure to comply may result in the courts imposing a fine of up to £2,500. The Council may also enter the land and complete works in default and recover from the occupier/owner of the land any costs that have been reasonably incurred.

Editor's Note: Whilst the Cowdray Estate may be responsible for clearing litter on their land, they are - in my view - the injured party here, apart from the community at large. Some visitors, perhaps, and some townsfolk may contribute to this problem by allowing plastic shopping bags and other mess to blow from their cars onto the Cowdray Estate. I saw several 'Boot's' plastic bags in the grass today. Why should Cowdray have to clean up after us? But, it is the school where most of this problem originates, and it is with the school that we have to find a long term solution. The new headteacher is going to have to address this. I don't envy him the task!

 

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