Colchester volunteers clear litter at Middlewick Ranges and Shrub End

A well-attended litter pick arranged by the Friends of Middlewick group on Saturday saw several bags of rubbish collected from Middlewick Ranges.

Campaigners, including Conservative parliamentary hopeful James Cracknell, also used the litter pick to protest against the proposed sale of the Wick to make way for 1,000 homes.

Another group of litter pickers also spent their Saturday cleaning up the Shrub End area of the city.

Cleaning up - Dave Harris with volunteers Claire Osborne and Scott Edmonds (Image: Dave Harris)

Labour councillor Dave Harris, who organised the Shrub End litter pick and is among the councillors who have campaigned to stop the sale of Middlewick Ranges, said he was thankful for the efforts of volunteers across Colchester to keep the city tidy.

He said: “We would’ve gone along and helped if my litter pick in Shrub End wasn’t pre-booked. I do them every Saturday.

“I know of several people, not just Conservatives, who volunteered and went along to help keep the Wick clear of litter.

“A lot of people helped too. Good for them.”

The defence ministry, which owns Middlewick Ranges, put the site on the market in November.

It is allocated for development in Colchester Council’s local plan to build almost 16,000 homes in the city by 2033.