Sapna and Friends of Welsh Harp Roll Up Their Sleeves for Major Litter Pick
Newly elected Conservative councillor Sapna Chadha joined volunteers from the Friends of Welsh Harp for a community litter pick around the Welsh Harp reservoir — and what they found was nothing short of shocking.
Bags and bags of rubbish were collected from around one of North West London's most cherished natural spaces, with volunteers uncovering the full extent of fly-tipping and littering that has been allowed to take hold on Labour's watch. Among the debris, a large number of nitrous oxide (NOX) canisters were recovered — a grim reminder of the wider NOX epidemic sweeping communities across the UK, and evidence that Welsh Harp is not immune.
The scale of the dumping was described as horrific. From household waste to discarded canisters, it was clear that the reservoir and its surrounding green spaces have been neglected and left vulnerable to those who treat them as an open rubbish tip. The sheer volume collected in a single session speaks volumes about how badly enforcement and maintenance have been allowed to slip.
For Sapna, the litter pick was not just a one-off — it was a statement of intent. Proper cleaning of public spaces and robust enforcement against fly-tipping and dumping will be a central focus of her term as a councillor. Residents of Welsh Harp deserve green spaces they can be proud of, and that means action, not warm words.
Sapna paid a generous tribute to the Friends of Welsh Harp volunteers, who have been turning out time and again to clean up the reservoir — work that should never have fallen to them in the first place. "They are worth their weight in gold," she said. "These volunteers have been quietly doing what the Labour-run council has consistently failed to do — taking care of our community and protecting a truly special local environment."
The Welsh Harp reservoir is a Site of Special Scientific Interest and a jewel in the borough's crown. It deserves a councillor and a council that will fight for it. With Sapna now in place, Welsh Harp residents finally have that champion.
