Partnership approach to cleaning river Roch

Date published: 17/03/2005

As part of the Newlands community woodland scheme, agencies in Rochdale are joining forces to clean up a stretch of the river Roch that has been blighted with flytipping. 

Environmental charities BTCV and Groundwork have joined forces with the Mersey Basin Campaign, Forestry Commission, Rochdale MBC Street Services, Rochdale Development Agency and Pennine Edge Forest to deliver a clean up on the river on the 18th March supported by Housing Market Renewal Community Cohesion Fund.  The clean up will be taking place between Roch Woods and Stanney Steet, an area set to be included in the Newlands community woodland scheme.

Following the demise of the textile and associated industries wildlife has returned to the river once again and it is not unusual to see a variety of water birds such as dippers, herons, ducks. swans moorhens, coots and grey wagtails.  Bats emerge at dusk to feed on a variety of insects that spend the first stages of their life cycle as aquatic larvae. 

However, the actions of some individuals and businesses have resulted in areas of the river looking like a municipal tip.  Discarded household waste along with flytipped industrial and casually dropped litter are not only unsightly but also generate health risks. Food stuffs attract vermin such as rats which can transfer diseases to humans, broken glass and other sharp items can directly injure people, pets, livestock and wildlife. Large accumulations of litter can also add to the flooding risk by impeding the natural flow of the river.

“The partnership will be working hard to clean up the area and also to get the message through to people that throwing rubbish over the garden fence or wall at the bottom of the road is totally unacceptable.  Even garden waste can be a massive problem, the rubbish gets washed down stream rather than breaking down and causes problems for others.  The quality of this river and surrounding habitats is great but it could be so much better if people just disposed of their waste properly.  There are no shortage of municipal tips and recycling centres in this part of Rochdale” Mike Cummings (Mersey Basin Campaign)

The partnership will also be working closely with enforcement officers for the area and prosecute those responsible for tipping.