The Great River Ancholme Cleanup

6 November 2005

The market town of Brigg arose because it was a convenient crossing point of the River Ancholme. Over the years the river has served the town well providing an efficient transport system using canal boats. The boats are long gone, but the River Ancholme is still a popular place for feeding the ducks and for office workers to relax beside and eat their sandwiches.

Rubbish on the Ancholme (Aug 10, 2005) and
(inset) Market Rasen Mail headline (15 Oct. 2005)

Recently, however, the status of the River Ancholme as 'The Jewel in the crown of Brigg' has been threatened by the sheer quantity of floating rubbish.

A Brigg TV piece about the dire state of the river ('Troubled waters') inspired local journalist James Martin to start a petition to encourage the local authorities to clean up the river.

This year too, Brigg lost valuable points in the 'In bloom' competition giving rise to the typically biting headline 'Judges slam river filth' in the Market Rasen Mail.

A local Brigg boatowner has offered his services in the cleanup of the river, but the Brigg Town Council has advised that this may present a potential health and safety risk. According to an email from the Town Council, the North Lincolnshire Council is responsible for the removal of floating rubbish.

The North Lincolnshire unitary authority has denied, however, that it has a responsibility for cleaning this section of the River Ancholme which flows through its area - instead saying that the Environment Agency has this responsibility.

In an email dated 13 October 2005, Mr Nick Simmons of the Environment Agency in Lincoln has put the onus of de-littering the River Ancholme back on the shoulders of North Lincolnshire Council or on 'the appropriate internal drainage board' if 'the council will not clear it'.

To try and clear this 'impasse', Brigg Life has asked for the assistance of Brigg and Goole MP Mr Ian Cawsey. Mr Cawsey thought that the Environment Agency was responsible for the cleanup - but could imagine that North Lincolnshire Council's duties for clearing the litter on the Brigg streets and Market Place could well extend to the rubbish which drops in the River Ancholme in the town. Mr Cawsey is looking further into this matter.

... so there you have it.

The responsibility for cleaning the River Ancholme could be any of the following:

1. North Lincolnshire Council
2. The Environment Agency
3. Both North Lincs and the Environment Agency
4. No one

Brigg Life shall keep you informed on the progress of the Great River Ancholme Cleanup.

Footnote. The good people of Horncastle have been having similar problems with their river and authorities - and have come up with a novel solution: Read article in Horncastletoday.co.uk