Dumped furniture at Clanger Wood near Westbury has cost a conservation charity £100 to remove — money it says could have gone towards protecting nature.
The dumped items, believed to be from a sofa, were left in the car park at the popular walking spot, which is located on the outskirts of Heywood just off the A350.
Clanger Wood is owned by the Woodland Trust, which had to send a contractor to the car park to remove the fly-tipping. This cost £100 for the organisation, which is the largest conservation charity in the UK.
A spokesperson for the Woodland Trust said, “In a world where we need our efforts and money to focus on the growing threats to our woods, such as climate change, disease, pests and development, it is a shame we have to deal with fly-tipping and littering.
“Each year, we are spending hundreds of thousands of pounds across our sites nationally, clearing up other people’s waste — money which could otherwise go towards creating new woods or protecting ancient woodland.
“The rubbish creates an eyesore and affects people’s overall visitor experience. We need people to understand and remember that it has numerous implications for our woods and wildlife.
“Fly-tipping is an illegal activity. Whilst it is a costly affair for us to take offenders through a legal process, we do hold that right and have prosecuted in the past, which can lead to substantial fines. We would also call on the public to be vigilant wherever they can — if they spot anything suspicious, contact us. If people see large-scale illegal dumping, they can call Crimestoppers.
“Whilst fly-tipping is a considerable issue, thankfully incidents are generally isolated to certain areas of our woods, and they remain really beautiful places to visit.”
Clanger Wood, found on the A350 at Heywood, has an abundance of butterflies and moths, including rare species. In 2022, it was named by the Woodland Trust as one of the best places to see bluebells in the entire South West.
