Council ordered to remove waste it left at park

The Environment Agency has ordered a council to remove swathes of waste it left at a beauty spot.

Walsall Council spread the material, which has clothes, polypipes, glass and building rubble within it, across a huge area of Walsall Arboretum, an historic public park.

The authority said the works formed part of its efforts to to mitigate flooding and prepare for tree planting.

It agreed to remove the material after being notified by the Environment Agency that "it does not meet the required standard".

Resident Karl Delmas said the waste appeared at the popular park a number of weeks ago.

He alerted the Environment Agency about the issue earlier this week.

The government regulator attended the site and ordered the waste to be removed.

"There's 100 tonnes, easily, and it's absolutely full of rubbish," Delmas said.

It's contaminated waste and it needs to be taken away and fenced off because people can just walk across it.

"It was raining last week and you could see the black trickling from it into the brook."

A spokesperson for Walsall Council said arrangements were being made for the material to be "removed, dried within a designated on-site compound, and disposed of by a licensed waste management contractor.

"These works will be completed as soon as practicable, taking into account the prevailing weather and ground conditions.

"Suitable alternative material will be sourced so that the project can continue to progress."

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