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Tippers blamed for lake rubbish
Newton-le-Willows residents and pupils from Hope Academy join contractors at Newton Lake at the start of renovation work.
CAMPAIGNERS have secured a £15,500 grant for the clean-up of a popular lake.
Traffic cones, tyres, pallets, old gas cylinders and a fridge have all been fished out of Newton Lake as part of an Environment Agency-backed clean-up project.
But ex-councillor Suzanne Knight, from the Newton Partners group, reckons junk dumped in the waterways which feed into the lake was largely to blame.
She said: “We have strong suspicions that much of the debris which keeps getting into the lake has come from across the borough border in the Golborne direction. The water course certainly suggests that items have been coming from there. We think some of the items may have been dumped from the nearby motorway bridge too.
“It would be such a shame to spend all this money cleaning the lake up for it to then go back to square one.”
Newton Lake was created in the 1850s as the centrepiece of a prestigious villa development – although only a few of villas were ever built.
But the build-up of debris in recent years became a major concern for the Newton Partners.
The group drew together representatives from the local community, police, schools and churches to help them secure the Environment Agency grant.
And contractors Vertase were brought in to carry out the clean-up, which was deemed too dangerous to be carried out by local residents.
Three skips were filled with rubbish both from the lake and the culvert running underneath the M6, which feeds into the north east corner of the lake.
Deputy council leader Barrie Grunewald said: “The lake now looks much better for everyone to enjoy. We’re delighted.”
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Weather for St Helens
Wednesday 19 June 2013
Today
Sunny spells
Temperature: 10 C to 18 C
Wind Speed: 17 mph
Wind direction: North west
Tomorrow
Light rain
Temperature: 13 C to 18 C
Wind Speed: 12 mph
Wind direction: South east
