RESIDENTS from Thornwell joined forces with Monmouthshire County Council (MCC) Charter Housing, Keep Wales Tidy and GD Environmental and restored the fly-tipped Warren Slade woodland area behind Bluebell Drive.

The event saw over 30 volunteers participate in the community clean-up, where the woodland area had fallen victim to fly-tipped waste over recent years. Local residents tackled the deprived area owned by Charter Housing to collect litter, abandoned furniture and discarded junk, as part of an initiative to encourage local residents to restore pride in their local areas.

The organisers, MCC and Charter Housing, who both own parts of the woodland, organised the exercise in a bid to support and encourage communities to spruce up their neighbourhoods, whilst providing a team of man-power to aid the clean-up.

Keep Wales Tidy provided the necessary equipment required for the litter pick with the assistance of Transition Chepstow and Chepstow Walkers are Welcome.

GD Environmental, one of Wales's leading waste management companies, donated a 14 yard skip to accommodate the waste collected. A total of 4.2 tonnes of waste was collected, of which 96 per cent has been recycled at the company's waste transfer station in Newport.  

Mark Langley, head countryside warden for MCC, said: "We had carried out consultations with the local community to find out what improvements they thought were needed to improve the woods. Everyone who attended said they would like to see the litter removed. It was great to see local families helping on the day to clean up their local environment".

Ruth Davies, neighbourhood manager for Charter Housing, said: "It was really positive to see the community come together to improve the place they live.

"We're looking to carry on this work to make the woods an inviting area for local residents to enjoy".

Pictures courtesy of Keep Wales Tidy.