‘Big Community Clean Up’ at Tongue Gutter; Hartley Brook; Ecclesfield Road Open Space ‘Urban Nature Project’ (UNP)

20 Feb

Members of the community completed a successful litter clean up and carried out an entrance improvement scheme on Tongue Gutter ,Hartley Brook this week. 83 bags of litter and fly tipping were cleared from one small area . The project was supported by Rangers and Ranger Volunteers

and showed just what can be achieved in a day.

Further community work days on Tongue Gutter are being planned.

If you would like to be involved contact James Musgrave or Chris Roberts in the Ranger Service

RE: Tongue Gutter; Hartley Brook and Ecclesfield Road Open Space ‘Urban Nature Project’ (UNP)

We would kindly like to remind you that Tongue Gutter, Hartley Brook and Ecclesfield Road Open Space – which form an important linked green corridor running from Wordsworth Avenue to Ecclesfield Road – have collectively been chosen to be developed as one of Sheffield City Council’s Year 1 ‘Urban Nature Project’ (UNP) sites.

Following this allocation, the sites will move from traditional management under the Parks Service to a new management approach delivered by the Countryside & Environment Ranger Service. This presents an opportunity to re-address some of the key issues for the sites (for example; illegal motorcycling and fly-tipping) and to enhance their value for both wildlife and amenity.

There is a small capital budget available for making improvements across the three areas and to uplift them to the ‘Sheffield Standard’ designation, which is concerned with delivering ‘safer, cleaner, greener’ green spaces across the city. Proposed improvements include securing boundaries and access points against off-road vehicles; removing fly-tipping; clearing watercourses and thinning tree plantations.

A first step for the Ranger Service has been to look at priorities for making the sites safer and more welcoming for local people and with this in mind we are organising a ‘Big Community Clean Up’ (over the first two weeks of March) to address the fly-tipping and litter problems across the areas. As part of this clean-up we are bringing in a Community Payback Team (Probation Service) to help us with removing the rubbish and litter, and are hopeful that we can encourage local people, partners and other stakeholders to get involved. A small team of NEETS funded by the Environment Agency and led by the River Stewardship Company have already made a start on clearing some of the rubbish from the stream at the west end of Tongue Gutter.

We are very keen to raise the profile of the three sites as a UNP – and to publicise our initial ‘Big Clean Up’ – and would greatly appreciate your help in spreading the word to relevant partners and stakeholders. We have tentatively given the sites the collective working title of North East Wildlife Corridor (NEWC)!

The Big Community Clean Up will start on Monday 3rd March at Tongue Gutter with the Ranger Service supported by the Community Payback Team.

We have then arranged for a couple of ‘all welcome’ community clean-up days as follows…

· Wednesday 12th March 10am to 2.00pm at Hartley Brook. Meeting at 10am at the access to the site adjacent to number 83 Godric Road.

· Sunday 16th March 10am to 12.30pm at Ecclesfield Road Open Space. Meeting at 10am at the residents parking area on Ecclesfield Road.

· We have also booked in a clean-up day with a group of Scouts on the 10th May at Hartley Brook. Again all welcome

Please advise anybody interested in coming along to the clean-up sessions to give us a call on 0114 2403578 so that we can confirm numbers. We will provide all equipment (gloves, litter pickers, black sacks, tea! etc…) and a full risk assessment for work to be carried out.

We very much hope that we have your support in moving this project forward and would be happy to receive any comments or discuss any issues you may want to raise.

Kind regards

Chris Roberts (Ranger)

James Musgrave (Ranger)

James Musgrave

Parks & Countryside Ranger Service

Place Portfolio

Sheffield city Council

Meersbrook Road, Brook Road

Sheffield, S8 9FL

Tel: 0114 2403578

Mob:07768888577

E-mail: James.musgrave

Click here to visit our website

http://www.sheffield.gov.uk/out–about/parks-woodlands–countryside/trees–woodlands

Mobile: Chris 07802 299565

James 07768 888577

 

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