A Coventry MP highlights a local canal as a nature haven amid concerns about littering, exploring solutions such as deposit schemes and small forests.
Elected in July, she covers nature topics, including trees, waste, and biodiversity. She took a canal boat trip on January 31st, which gave her a fresh perspective on the city.
The canal runs 60km from the city, through Foleshill, Longford, and Staffordshire. It’s home to protected river voles, as well as swans, ducks, otters, and kingfishers.
She called it a vital wildlife corridor. Volunteers remove litter from the canal and find furniture, signs, food, and drug items.
Coventry struggles with illegal dumping; people illegally dump thousands of items. Creagh stressed individual responsibility to tackle it. She saw people about to dump trash right outside their houses.
People often “place litter” carefully, thinking a cola can on the ground isn’t litter. She mentioned chewing gum and cigarette butts. People must treat green spaces as important, not as dumps. Fly-tipping is an environmental crime, she added.
Fly-tipping sounds minor, but it’s harmful and costs thousands. She explained that ten people were once trapped by fly-tipping when it blocked the road in Lichfield.
Waste regulation isn’t working, she claimed. She mentioned government policies, including a four-bin recycling system by 2026 and a deposit scheme coming for cans and bottles.
This deposit system turns trash into cash. People won’t throw items if they get money. The 10p deposit scheme starts in 2027, and people get the charge back when they return items.
Ireland’s 94% return rate proves its success. Money motivates action, she noted. People respond to charges better than benefits.
Her plan focuses on nature near people. Since Coventry East lacks land for massive woods, she mentioned tiny forests being created. These small woodlands help meet net zero targets. Other projects uncover the River Sherbourne, and a path was built for the City of Culture.
The council plans to cut 26 trees for a cycleway, and locals contacted her about this. Thousands opposed the plan to save the trees.
Some cycleway trees died early on, and storms recently killed many more trees. Councillors balance funding with trees, she said, as funding creates better walking and cycling routes. Replacement trees will be planted, she added.
This is a council decision, made by elected officials.
