Litter-pickers take matters into their own hands over Gleadless Valley fly-tipping hotspot
By Kelan Sarson
November 27, 2022

The Gleadless Valley area in Sheffield continues to be a hotspot for fly-tipping with tyre dumping troubling the rural South Sheffield area.

Alongside the tyres, many residents have spotted large amounts of cannabis and various bits of trade waste on the streets.

Iren Wadsworth, a keen local litter-picker, regularly volunteers throughout the week in an attempt to keep areas around Gaunt Road tidy.

She said: “I’ve been litter-picking with my gang today. We do this bit of Sheffield quite regularly and have been doing this for the last five years. It’s one of the main fly-tipping streets in Sheffield.”

Their litter-picking efforts aren’t just reserved to Gleadless Valley alone. Ms Wadsworth and the other volunteers have been out to other locations such as Leighton Road in an attempt to clear rubbish.

With Sheffield’s reputation as a ‘green city’ drawing visitors in, she is disheartened by the constant litter she sees.

But she is still proud of the small contribution she makes when going out and tidying up the various green areas in and around Gleadless Valley.

Ms Wadsworth said: “We’ve made a massive difference. I moved up here in 2017 and all the ancient woodlands near Gleadless Valley were beautiful but heavily fly-tipped.

“The shame was that many people wouldn’t go to the woods as it wasn’t a pleasant experience and surrounded by fly-tipping. I thought, that’s a shame, so my aim became to clear the woods.”

Alexi Dimond, a Green Party councillor for Gleadless Valley, said: “Unfortunately, there is a problem in the area with periodic illegal fly tipping of tyres, likely from a business. Businesses should dispose of their waste properly as this is unfair on local residents and bad for the environment.

“Anyone fly tipping risks prosecution and a fine. If anyone witnesses fly tipping, they should report to the police and council if safe to do so. Any fly tipped waste should also be reported to the Council so this can be removed.”