ore than 50 bags of rubbish, containing glass and plastic bottles, discarded food and fishing tackle have been cleared from Hope’s Nose in Torquay.
Responding to an appeal for a litter picking ‘blitz’ that was coordinated by the leader of Torbay Council, Steve Darling, and working with the Torbay Coast & Countryside Trust (TCCT), over two dozen volunteers spent a couple of hours cleaning up at this beautiful and geologically important headland.
The team of volunteers were faced with piles of burnt rubbish, with more hidden in rock crevices and under vegetation, and even areas that contained human waste.
Damian Offer, Chief Executive of Torbay Coast & Countryside Trust, commented:
“OUR TEAM OF RANGERS WORK VERY HARD TO MAINTAIN THE QUALITY OF ALL OF OUR SITES, SO IT’S VERY DISAPPOINTING AND FRUSTRATING THAT A MINORITY OF VISITORS ARE NOT ABLE TO TAKE THEIR RUBBISH AWAY WITH THEM.”
“NOT ONLY DOES IT PRESENT A VERY CLEAR HEALTH HAZARD TO OTHER PEOPLE WHO WISH TO USE AND ENJOY THE HEADLAND, BUT IT SHOWS COMPLETE DISREGARD FOR OUR BEAUTIFUL COASTLINE AND A LACK OF UNDERSTANDING OF HOW MUCH DAMAGE THIS TYPE OF WASTE HAS ON THE ENVIRONMENT.”
“I WOULD LIKE TO SAY A HUGE THANKS TO ALL THE VOLUNTEERS WHO GAVE UP THEIR FREE TIME TO REMOVE WHAT WAS A SIGNIFICANT AMOUNT OF WASTE FROM HOPE’S NOSE.”
“THIS INCLUDED DEALING WITH A VERY LARGE AREA OF RUBBISH THAT HAD BEEN BURNT, BROKEN AND CONCEALED AND AMOUNTED TO SOME FIFTY BAGS OF RUBBISH BEING REMOVED FROM THE SITE.”
Steve Darling, Leader of Torbay Council, said:
“I WAS DELIGHTED THAT MORE THAN 25 PEOPLE ANSWERED THE CALL TO TIDY UP ONE OF OUR ICONIC BEAUTY SPOTS IN TORQUAY. I WOULD LIKE TO THANK ALL THOSE WHO GAVE UP THEIR SUNDAY MORNING TO IMPROVE HOPE’S NOSE. TORBAY COUNCIL CONTINUE TO WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH TORBAY COAST AND COUNTRYSIDE TRUST TO FIND LONG TERM SOLUTIONS TO THIS ONGOING PROBLEM.”
