White Oaks Park residents say litter is turning it into a 'dump' and wants city to step in

Residents near White Oaks Park in south London say more and more garbage is showing up in their neighbourhood — and even though they do their best to stay on top of it — wonder why the responsibility to clean it falls on them. 

The area was once a nice place to take a stroll, neighbours said, but lately there is more trash building up along the walking trails through the south London park, blowing from parking lots into people's yards and the nearby ravine.

"It's disrespectful," said Cristina Barany, who lives close by. "It's just turned into a dump."

Lately Barany spends every Sunday morning with a big bag and rubber gloves, picking up food containers, drink bottles, and other trash from around the plaza and her neighbours' homes.

She's lived on Jalna Boulevard next to White Oaks Park for 23 years, and said the increase in garbage on the street came when new restaurants opened up in the plaza across from her home where customers loiter and litter in the parking lot. Along the ravine, she believes there is also waste coming from other sources, like encampments that sometime pop up along the park trail. 

Families walk in the area

Neighbour Tia Campbell said the garbage is not only becoming a nuisance, but she worries it's also harming the ecosystem too. 

"It's such a nice trail, and a lot of families walk in this area," she said. "It would be nice to keep it clean." 

A big problem, Campbell said, is the amount of shopping carts that get left along the street and in the park, often full of trash. 

On Tuesday, a city employee was cleaning up a particularly messy section of the ravine after receiving complaints. This is something the city does regularly, according to Dustin Milburn, the manager of parks operations.

"We've seen an increase in litter across our park system, particularly following seasonal changes and periods of high park usage," he said in a statement. "To support this, we've placed numerous waste bins throughout our parks and encourage proper disposal to keep them clean and welcoming." 

Barany has put in requests with the city to help deal with the trash coming from the plaza, but hasn't received a response, she said.

"We as homeowners can only do so much," she said. 

She would like to see the city putting more effort into helping neighbourhoods like hers stay clean and tidy, she said.

"I think the city needs to ... concentrate on neighbourhoods that are having these problems because I'm not the only one. I mean, this is happening all over the city, right?," she said. 

"I thought I would stay here during my retirement, but that is definitely a no-go. I have no intention of living my retirement years in this hellhole."