City of London Corporation to consider preventative steps after Ganesh Chaturthi litter at Wanstead Flats
Seven statues were recovered from Alexandra Lake and the charity that manages the flats spends £635,000 a year on rubbish clearance
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The City of London Corporation announced it will consider new preventative measures after the Ganesh Chaturthi celebrations caused significant litter and the removal of seven statues from Alexandra Lake on Wanstead Flats. The 10‑day Hindu festival took place in September and attracted large crowds to the lake and Jubilee Pond. Residents in the surrounding neighbourhood reported excessive noise, fireworks and fire risk, prompting daily clean‑up operations by Epping Forest staff and police. Deputy Caroline Haines, chair of the Corporation’s Epping Forest and Commons Committee, said the event resulted in environmental damage and the submersion of statue material in the lake, as reported by MyLondon.
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The Corporation, which acts as sole trustee and principal funder of the charity that manages Wanstead Flats, said it will forward a report to the Epping Forest and Commons Committee outlining possible preventative steps for future festivals. In the same report, officers noted a rise in unauthorised gatherings at Alexandra Lake over recent years. Deputy Haines told MyLondon that “celebrations should never come at the expense of the environment” and urged organisers to cooperate with local authorities. The charity currently allocates around £635,000 a year to clear rubbish from the flats, a figure that represents about 15 per cent of its total budget.
Impact on the landscape
Epping Forest staff and police were present throughout the festival but were outnumbered, requiring daily litter removal after each day’s events. The seven statues recovered from the water were described as “abandoned” by MyLondon. Officers also recorded complaints about anti‑social behaviour, fire hazards and disturbance to wildlife. The flats are designated as a Site of Special Scientific Interest and a Special Area of Conservation, making any damage to the habitat a matter of statutory concern. The Corporation’s statement stressed that every pound spent on rubbish clearance is money that cannot be used to protect the internationally important landscape.
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Every pound spent clearing up rubbish is money that cannot be spent protecting this internationally important landscape.
Caroline Haines, Deputy Chair of the Epping Forest and Commons Committee
Questions this report answers
+What preventative action is the City of London Corporation planning?
The Corporation will submit a report to the Epping Forest and Commons Committee proposing steps to stop unauthorised gatherings from causing litter and damage. The exact measures have not been finalised, but the aim is to manage future festivals more tightly.
+How many statues were removed from the lake after the festival?
Seven statues were recovered from Alexandra Lake following the Ganesh Chaturthi celebrations. Staff removed them during the post‑festival clean‑up, as detailed in the MyLondon article.
+How much does the charity managing Wanstead Flats spend on rubbish clearance each year?
The charity that looks after Wanstead Flats spends about £635,000 annually on clearing rubbish, which equals roughly 15 per cent of its total budget. This figure was given in the MyLondon report.
+When did the Ganesh Chaturthi festival take place?
The Ganesh Chaturthi festival ran for ten days in September, beginning on the fourth day of the Hindu month of Bhadrapada. The MyLondon article notes the event lasted up to ten days.
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