Littering hotspot should be clear to honour sailors' memory
HMS Safari was a third batch S-class submarine built for the Royal Navy during the Second World War. The people of Dereham raised £250,000 to fund the vessel. - Credit: Imperial War Museums/public domain
A littering hotspot should be cleaned up if only to honour the memories of the servicemen it was named for, a town council has been told.
Members of Dereham Town Council discussed the issue of littering on Safari Way in Dereham at the heritage and open spaces committee meeting on March 23.
Littering on Safari Way in Dereham will be discussed at a town council meeting next week - Credit: Harry Clarke
Councillors agreed that the area around the well-used footpath, which is next to the derelict former Crane Fruehauf depot site where 39 new houses are planned, needed to be cleaned up.
Harry Clarke, ward councillor for the area, said: "I hadn't appreciated the history of the name - it's named after a Second World War submarine called Safari that residents of Dereham raised £250,000 for - a tremendous amount in those days - and it had distinguished war service."
Littering on Safari Way in Dereham will be discussed at a town council meeting next week - Credit: Harry Clarke
There is a ditch long Safari Way - a pedestrian footpath - which has filled up with rubbish. But it has not clearly been established who owns the ditch and therefore who would be responsible for clearing it up.
Town councillor Philip Morton said it was imperative the area be improved before work on the new housing estate began.
Mr Morton said: "There's litter on both sides of the ditch, and anyone trying to clean it up could fall in and it would be a disaster. It's a complete shame because it could be a nice spot."
Harry Clarke, Dereham town and Breckland councillor. - Credit: Archant
Councillors agreed that more pressure should be put on Breckland Council to find a way forward.
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Mr Clarke said the area needed to be professionally cleaned up.
He said: "It isn't something that's going to be safe for volunteers there, in terms of the potential hazards - the depth of the water in the ditch, wire, glass, etcetera.
"I'd be happy to go down there with people from county, district, drainage and whoever and say look, you're not leaving until we come up with some sort of solution to this."
A screenshot from the Dereham Town Council's heritage and open spaces meeting on March 23, which was held via Zoom. - Credit: Dereham Town Council
The land where the homes are to be built was once used as a parts and service depot for Crane Fruehauf, who manufactured trailers there until 2005.
Partner Construction Ltd are to build 39 houses there, 25 of which will be social housing and 14 as intermediate housing - a cost above social housing but below market levels.
Littering on Safari Way in Dereham will be discussed at a town council meeting next week - Credit: Harry Clarke
