A resident of Sandringham Drive in Aigburth has spoken out about the persistent litter problem caused by customers of a nearby McDonald's. Lisa Parry, 58, who has lived on the street for 20 years, says people frequently buy food from the restaurant, park on her street to eat, and then discard their rubbish on the ground, even though the street is "lined with bins."
Ongoing issue since restaurant opened
Parry explained that the problem began shortly after the McDonald's on Aigburth Drive opened in the early 2010s and has continued ever since. She told the ECHO: "What happens is people go into McDonald's and get their food, and then there's only one way out and that's left. The first street on the left is Sandringham Drive."
"They park up there in their posh cars, eat their food and just throw the rubbish out of the window, or just open the door and tip their rubbish out, including bits of food. It's absolutely disgusting. There's other rubbish as well but the McDonald's is the main culprit. Sometimes the road is absolutely full of litter, depending on the time of day."
Parry described the street as "a lovely, leafy area" and said the litter is affecting residents' quality of life. "There's a terrible smell all over the area and it's always noisy with beeping cars. You can just about live with that, and then you leave your front door and you've got all the rubbish to pick up off the street."
Efforts not enough
Although McDonald's staff regularly carry out litter picks around the restaurant, Parry believes these efforts are insufficient. "McDonald's have people who come out and pick up as much rubbish as they can, but it's not enough because the street is still littered," she said. "It needs to be happening three or four times a day, never mind a week."
Parry has previously contacted Liverpool Council to suggest making Sandringham Drive a one-way street or closing off one end, but she says the council has not shown interest. "The council aren't interested. I don't know what my council tax goes towards. I pick up the litter outside my house, but it's not my job to clean the whole street. I don't know what else to do."
Responses from McDonald's and council
A McDonald's spokesperson said: "At McDonald’s, we take our responsibility around litter very seriously and are committed to being a good neighbour in the communities we serve. Our team on Aigburth Road carries out litter patrols at least three times a day throughout the surrounding area, collecting all litter, not just McDonald’s branded packaging. When concerns have been raised by residents in the past, we have responded promptly and acted to clear affected areas."
"We have built strong relationships with our local community over the past year and regularly organise ‘Love Where You Live’ community events to help improve the local environment, with our next event taking place on 30th August. We would encourage anyone who identifies a litter hotspot to contact the restaurant directly so we can investigate and take appropriate action."
A Liverpool City Council spokesperson said: “All feedback from residents is important to us and we take all concerns seriously. Residents can share feedback with the Council in a number of ways, including through our website, via their local ward councillors, or through our Have Your Say channel. Comments and concerns raised by residents help to inform the planning and delivery of services across the city and are considered as part of ongoing assessments of local issues. We also encourage everyone to dispose of any litter responsibly, by throwing it in a bin or by taking it home with them. Littering has a negative impact on communities and keeping neighbourhoods clean is a shared responsibility. Where there are concerns over waste management at businesses, our teams will inspect and take appropriate action if necessary.”
