Wharfedale News

Councillor responds to Wharfedale Observer readers' worries

7:00am Friday 27th January 2012

A councillor has pledged action after a complaint of “appalling concentrations of litter” in Yeadon.

Otley and Yeadon councillor Ryk Downes has asked officers to check out the complaint, and he is stressing that over-looked problems are dealt with if they are brought to the council’s attention.

Coun Downes stressed the council’s commitment to ensuring litter was dealt with in the wake of a letter to Wharfedale Newspapers complaining about two areas in particular.

In the letter Rob Naylor claims rubbish has been littered since last September in an area at the end of the airport from Cemetery Road up to Carlton.

He said: “The whole route is a disgrace. It seems that when cars drive round the bend there is an invitation to throw plastic bottles and lager cans on to the grass slope . Further up towards Carlton, the bushes are permanently festooned with plastic sheeting which I presume have been set free from the industrial units along the road.

He added: “The area behind Yeadon High Street from Yeadon Health Centre down to Town Hall is appalling. It looks as if it has not been cleared in years.

“I know that it is not the council’s fault that litter is dropped, but if these areas were cleaned more regularly then it would be easier to identify the ignoramuses who throw their rubbish anywhere.

Coun Downes stressed that anyone who noticed a problem with litter should report it and it would be dealt with.

He said: “I recall it was bad last summer along Cemetery Road to East Carlton, after a particularly windy day, when a lot of rubbish had been blown about, I took this up with officers who had it cleared up.

Coun Downes has asked officers to attend to the two sites mentioned, and he is checking how often they are cleaned. “As councillors a few years ago we funded additional street cleansing in Otley and Yeadon and are able to direct a response team to deal with issues as we are informed of them.”

He stressed: “The point is we are there to help. If people do know of a problem they should let us know and we will get it sorted – it’s as simple as that.

“If there are areas that being missed we need to know. We don’t want Yeadon to be an eyesore.”

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