Supermarket trolleys in rivers/canals

[vole-woman]

Has anyone any experience of successfully campaigning against a supermarket that knowingly allowed its trolleys to pollute waterways?

[Oscar2006]

Originally Posted by vole-woman

Has anyone any experience of successfully campaigning against a supermarket that knowingly allowed its trolleys to pollute waterways?

Not sure where this thread is supposed to lead (conservation of vole habitat I presume?)

I can't believe any supermarket chain would "knowingly allow" it's trollies to be used for anything other than shopping purposes in their stores, let alone pollute waterways.

They are probably aware that their trollies have been stolen and dumped in waterways, but the retrieval of them is possibly beyond the remit of the local management team.
That does not mean that the senior executives should not be responsible for arranging a contractor to remove them though!

Do we start a campaign against certain fast food restaurants because they "knowingly allow" their cartons to be strewn all over the country?

I think it is generally the "baduns" larking about after a skinful of ale that cause these problems not the Companies.

[vole-woman]

You're right, it's a conservation of Water Vole habitat issue. Water Voles burrows are protected by law, but repeatedly dragging trolleys out over banks is causing damage (the most active Water Vole colony near me lives in a ditch outside a supermarket, by the car park).

The store has known about the trolleys being a problem for ages; after all, the trolleys are highly visible as people walk past, and there have been up to 15 trolleys in there at once, all with accumulated debris around them.

I do think it's the store's responsibility, whether at local or central level: in this case, the trolleys are right next to a youth centre, and a dark car park and a steep bank are too much of a temptation. You might as well give a toddler a hammer.

I don't want to have a go at the store in general, just ask them to install coin-release trolleys so that the kids won't take them as readily. This is what I was asking for info on and I perhaps should have clarified my request. I wondered whether anyone else had managed to get a local store to change in this way.

I'm aware that Tesco last year were prosecuted by the Environment Agency for polluting the River Chelmer with trolleys, for example. I presume that store now has coin-release trolleys?

[vole-woman]

(And I know know if it's still the case, but I've seen representatives from fast food stores litter-picking round their stores in the past. Good PR, that.)

[Paul mabbott]

Originally Posted by vole-woman

The store has known about the trolleys being a problem for ages; after all, the trolleys are highly visible as people walk past, and there have been up to 15 trolleys in there at once, all with accumulated debris around them.

I do think it's the store's responsibility, whether at local or central level: in this case, the trolleys are right next to a youth centre, and a dark car park and a steep bank are too much of a temptation. You might as well give a toddler a hammer.

I don't want to have a go at the store in general, just ask them to install coin-release trolleys so that the kids won't take them as readily. This is what I was asking for info on and I perhaps should have clarified my request. I wondered whether anyone else had managed to get a local store to change in this way.

You're correct, it is the store's responsibility. Some supermarkets have installed systems whereby trolleys can't be wheeled out of the grounds - wouldn't stop a gang carrying one along the driveway though .... Probably the easiest thing for them to do would be to have someone patrolling the grounds.
As you say, worth having a go at the management and pointing out their responsibility.

[Chiltern Chris]

Hi,

I think there was a successful prosecution of a supermarket for this offence. I know someone who'd know the details but she's not available today, but if I find out in the next few days I'll let you know.

As for the Water Voles, if the process of trolley removal is causing problems to them and you've informed the supermarket that the voles are present, this could easily be construed as 'reckless' damage which is now a criminal offence under the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981 (as amended by Countryside and Rights of Way Act 2000 (CRoW). The process and potential penalties derive from CRoW: Schedule 12(5) which has reduced the legal test applied from ‘intentionally’ damaged by adding ‘or recklessly’ damage. To avoid reckless damage you must take all reasonable measures to avoid the damage.

This means that the supermarket should try and find a method of removing the trolleys without damaging the vole's habitat or prevent the trolleys going in in the first place.

Just for info. I know that when a fisheries survey was done in the lower Lee in London, no fish were found in the open channel but hundreds were found sheltering inside the shopping trolleys because it was the only place to hide. This happens when the banks of the river are hard (concrete, sheet piles, gabions etc) as this prevents vegetation growing at the bottom of the bank. I've seen this happening at a supermarket in Watford too.

Cheers, Chris

[Boddie]

Thos one in Oban harbour infuriated me.

http://www.insidetheheadofa.com/photo_649432.html

Apparently it'd been there for months.

It was from Lidl

[nightshade]

I thought it very photogenic,just look how it has camouflaged itself
to prevent discovery/recapture

[m1keanderson]

Check out the guidance notes for abandoned trolleys at Defra, UK - Environmental Protection - Local Environmental Quality - Clean Neighbourhoods and Environment Bill and see how your local council is implementing it.

[vole-woman]

Thanks! My local authority has been repsonsive to the needs of the voles in the brook, making sure their maintenance men don't over-strim, or use pesticides, and that rat control is done super-carefully. So I'll get onto them and see if they can apply a bit of pressure.

There are two more trolleys in this morning, and it's really depressing. The other two have been there for over a month and they're so embedded that removing them is going to cause real damage to the banks and brook bed. It's so frustrating when so many people are working hard to help the voles!

[clover green]

Hi vole-woman, I hope you are still reading this page? I am a new member and have recently read this thread. You see, I vaguely remember hearing that a supermarket in Chelmsford were fined for allowing their trolleys to remain at the bottom of the river. I believe the local council took the initiative. This occured about 10 years ago (approx?). I know on the odd occasion we visited there, we counted a dozen trolleys in one small section of the river, but in the end they recovered several times that number. So, there is a precedent there. Good luck with your campaign.

[Tormentil]

Originally Posted by nightshade

I thought it very photogenic,just look how it has camouflaged itself
to prevent discovery/recapture

A bit like sinking old warships to create artificial reefs.

[Dogghound]

I agree with certain posts in this thread, they are infact an ugly sight but provide a great home for immature fish and also importantly EEL'S, amphibians, invertibrates etc, after a wile they get coverd in debris and vegetation and provide a great micro-habitat, although they dont look great.

[vole-woman]

Yes, I appreciate that, and in themselves the trolleys didn't seem to bother the voles. But it was causing damage to the banks when the trolleys were pulled out, and it was encouraging other rubbish, which was attracting rats, which in the end did for this particular Water Vole colony.

I'm still watching, though the voles disappearing kind of pulled the rug out from under my feet. But the manager of the supermarket was aware of the situation, and there haven't been nmany trolleys in there since I spoke to him - not sure how he's managed this. I was able to quote the Chelmsford story to him: initially he was told by his seniors that no Tescos except superstores had trolleys. I quickly whipped out the info about the Environment Agency and Chelmsford being fined.

If the voles come back (they've only shifted upstream so they may well do) I'll get on the caes again. Still think it's disgusting that a firm as big as this wouldn't repsond to a clearly urgent need on the grounds of local/environmental issues.

[ianmandy]

I fish the rivers and canals twice a week and the amount of trolleys are getting less. The voles arn't bothered by them. The only thing they affect is the fish fry. The reason the trolleys seem to be less , is that people have to put a quid in them, and to get there quid back they have to return the trolley. The EA are less interested in the rubbish in the rivers and canals then they are about checking i have my fishing licence on me. A lot of rubbish go into the canal during the summer holidays mainly from boating holiday makers. Its their plastic bags and coke cans that cause more damage to the wildlife than trolleys ever will. Until these people are educated to remove their rubbish whilst they are on the canal then the problem will remain. We are required to clear 3m square area arround our swim before we fish. If rubbish is found when the bailiff arrives you will be banned. Not all clubs do this as i have walked the Kennet many a time and picked up meat and sweetcorn tins ( Anglers rubbish).

[Loopy2]

I just wanted to point out the sterling work done by the Wandle Trust see:-

Wandle Trust - Cleanups

The Wild Trout Trust is also very active in cleaning up rivers. Some of their endeavours can be viewed here.

Wild Trout Trust

[naturelover]

Originally Posted by vole-woman

Has anyone any experience of successfully campaigning against a supermarket that knowingly allowed its trolleys to pollute waterways?

for the life of me i just canot understand what kick anyone gets out of this,for a start it ruins the look of the river and they must be a menace to wildlife,let alone boats,can they not do a d/a off them and catch the so and sos,i know thats not possable only joking but its a shame they cant.do you think its teens after a boozy night or adults too lazy to take their trolly back to the supermarket i bet its both.betty

[naturelover]

Originally Posted by naturelover

for the life of me i just canot understand what kick anyone gets out of this,for a start it ruins the look of the river and they must be a menace to wildlife,let alone boats,can they not do a d/a off them and catch the so and sos,i know thats not possable only joking but its a shame they cant.do you think its teens after a boozy night or adults too lazy to take their trolly back to the supermarket i bet its both.betty

hi its me again i must say this, i originate from chelmsford where there were trollies removed from rivers every year in the summer months and i mean lots,i now live in march cambs and i must say this dose not happen ever over here,i have yet to see a trolly in a river,strange what.

[vole-woman]

I've contacted the Environment Agency and shown them the records on my blog now. Waiting to hear. The Chelmsford store is a great model!

[therealbobbo]

Boddie,if that thing was on one of our local beaches,and it was obvious who the rightfull owner was,I would return it to them,as conspicuously as possible,bobbo

[mh68]

A lake in Newcastle where I used to fish was unfortunately near a large shopping centre and was often the dumping ground for shopping trolleys.The supermarket where the trolleys originated used to send staff down intermittently to remove the trolleys, so at least some supermarkets have a responsible attitude.

Mark H

[vole-woman]

The manager of the store told me his staff weren't allowed to do that 'for health and safety reasons' The store rings a number and someone comes out who presumably's been 'specially trained'. But sometimes that takes weeks, and so by the time they come, the trolley's really bedded in and much harder to remove than it would be if two chaps just donned wellies and got in there to begin with. The brook's only a few inches deep, and not much more across - it's not as if anyone's going to drown! I'd shift the trolleys myself if I was strong enough (I litter-pick there regularly).

The Environment Agency are now investigating, and have written to ther store and to Head Office; we're waiting to hear. Meawhile the store's talking about doing another re-fit - but that won't include coin-release trolleys. So we've had extra railings, which made absolutely no difference at all as there were still good wide gaps all the way along the banks, and now the manager's talking about having trolleys whose wheels lock when the're pushed outside the entrance to the car park. That won't stop the problem either, because the brook's in the middle of the car park! It's as if head office will look at any solution rather than the blindingly obvious. (To be fair to the manager, the details of the re-fit aren't his decision.)

Anyway, the EA are clear that an offence is being committed under the Water Resources act of 1991, and then there's the CROW act about it being an offence to disturb Water Vole burrows. The voles are still there - I took a photo two days ago and it's on my blog - so I suppose we just keep on keeping on.

To me it's such a special case: amazing rare-animal habitat, next to a youth club and a supermarket that's open most nights till 11pm and has free-range trolleys. How can the brook not deserve some protection???

BTW, this car park and its voles will be on The Nature of Britain this Weds 31st, at the end when they look at local projects. You'll be able to see them if you get West Midlands tv.

[Billy Wobble Dagger]

Keep up your campaigning vole woman, you've done so much already for the Water Voles, you can't stop now. At least the EA are aware and are on your side. Keep on keeping on

Originally Posted by vole-woman

BTW, this car park and its voles will be on The Nature of Britain this Weds 31st, at the end when they look at local projects. You'll be able to see them if you get West Midlands tv.

I'm in a dilemma now because the local wildlife trust reserve that I volunteer at is also going too shown on the BBC South edition of The Nature of Britain on Wednesday. Oh which to watch? I think the Water Voles will win as usual.

BWD