Residents living near Bottesford Beck in North Lincolnshire are “heartbroken” over its deteriorating condition.

The river, located south of Scunthorpe, has become overgrown with plants and littered with debris, leading to concerns among the community.

John Jackson, 78, a member of the Friends of the Beck volunteer group, described the effort to clear the river as “overwhelming” and urged the council to “take responsibility.”

He warned that the overgrown plants are “an accident waiting to happen.”

“Some parts of the river are extremely dangerous. Children could wander off, go in there and it would be so difficult to get them out,” he added.

Mike McGrory, a 57-year-old local resident, attributed the poor state of the river to a lack of investment and called for immediate action to clean the river and its banks.

“At one end of the beck it is nicely kept, but the other is not,” he said. “The reeds are so high, there is litter and dog waste.”

Meanwhile, Gemma Bradley, 42, voiced her concerns about potential flooding risks.

“The water is congested with overgrown vegetation, which will likely cause flooding if not dealt with,” she said.

“There used to be more wildlife, but it’s all so overgrown now. It is sad to see the decline.”

Max Bell, Labour councillor for Ashby Lakeside, criticised the river’s current state, calling it an “environmental disgrace” and pressing the council to allocate resources for its maintenance.

“It makes me furious,” he said. “I salute the local clean-up group, they are doing the council’s work for them.”

North Lincolnshire Council responded, stating that the overgrowth, including reeds, provides habitats for wildlife.

“When there are periods of heavy rain the beck will naturally swell,” the authority said.

“The council have installed underground pipes to alleviate this.”

The EA said a two-year programme of work was planned to start in winter 2024.

The group said the work would “see the in-channel vegetation and reeds removed”.

Trees along the watercourse that could obstruct water flow may also be removed.

 

 

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