Monthly Litter Picks
2nd of May, 2024
Astley Village Parish Council agreed that we should organise a monthly litter pick at our November 2022 meeting and the necessary equipment was ordered.
The first litter pick was organised for the first Saturday in January 2023 and then the first Saturday of each following month has become the regular pattern.
We have had a mixed response from volunteers - sometimes just a few Parish Councillors accompanied by a couple of volunteers and on one sunny Saturday we had turnout of 14 volunteers. Grandparents have brought small children (we have litter pickers available for both children and adults) a great way of educating children the lifelong skill of using the bins placed around the village.
On most occasions we fill more than two or three bin bags and sometimes four or more !!! Just imagine if all the rubbish we have collected over the year was put into one horrifyingly large pile. What an eyesore and a reflection on the way in which some of the population treat our village.
The main culprits are those who throw away sweet bags followed by the individual sweet wrappers. Discarded crisp packets, drink cartons, cans and coffee cups are regularly dropped and in many cases within a few yards of a litter bin!! Unfortunately, the increase in vaping has led to even more items of litter from plastic outer wrappings to the hard plastic containers and the vape innards with batteries and wires which can be a fire hazard in the bins.
It isn't just the younger members of the population either. There are the car drivers who think it is acceptable to discard all the different elements of a fast-food meal along the kerbside stretching from the beginning of the village at West Way and all the way up Chancery Road. There are also the individuals who throw beer and lager cans onto the grass verge as they pass through the village.
We have collected a wide range of 'strange' discarded items - full packs of tonic water cans, a flatpack child's toy pram, various kitchen appliances including a toaster, iron and kettle and plastic washing up bowls, a washing basket and garden trug. Rather heavier was the base and stand of an office swivel chair.
We do try to recycle cans and glass bottles which wine and spirit drinkers discard regularly in the bushes near the underpass and behind the village centre.
However, the bin bags can become too heavy to carry. The nearest recycling bin is by the cannons near Cafe Ambio. We have made representations to Chorley Borough Council to have another dual bin installed for the village centre.
Chorley Borough Council have been able to provide four new general waste bins - two larger bins by the West Way play area and the others by the Deerfold bus stop and the corner of the Hallgate car park near Oliver House school. Astley Village must be one of the best places for the provision of litter bins. There are over 21 bins along Chancery Road and on side pathways in the village. All these bins are well used, so many residents and visitors are doing their bit to keep Astley Village a clean and pleasant environment.
Independently, residents continue to litter pick on a regular basis to try to improve the appearance of our village. More residents volunteering for the monthly litter pick (equipment provided) would help us to achieve even more.
We would be very pleased to see you for one hour at ten o'clock on the first Saturday of each month!!
Also, one more plea: hedgehogs cross Chancery Road around dusk from 9pm onwards - please drive a little more slowly to try and protect these endangered creatures. Thank you !