Shrubs have been cleared from a riverside sex and drinking den as the first step in a plan to improve the Double Street side of Spalding’s High Bridge.
Spalding Town Forum earmarked the area for improvement after complaining about it being used by rough sleepers and as a public loo.
Part of the riverbank close to a circular, brick-built planter has been stripped of shrubs – leaving a clear view of the river.
Spalding councillor Roger Gambba-Jones said there was no evidence of rough sleeping, but there was evidence of liaisons that happen “in the bushes in just about any park, especially in the warm weather” and of people drinking four or six-packs of beer.
He says at least one more tree may come out to make space for the other trees there – and it’s possible, if there’s money in the budget, that a future planting scheme could include a willow to mirror the one on the High Street side of the bridge.
Coun Gambba-Jones said the idea is to make it an attractive spot so it can be enjoyed by everyone.
“We are really pleased with it,” he said. “I wish we had done it a long time ago. We really needed to open it up.”
Coun Gambba-Jones said it will be up to the Town Forum members to decide how the spot shapes up so far as planting schemes go.
He said: “It depends on the members, once they can see the wood from the trees, if you will pardon the pun.
“We have removed all of the over-growth and all of the stuff that ran away with itself and was actually cluttering the place up.
lLast April the council removed a “sexual athletics” bench on the riverbank opposite Cley Hall Hotel.
Spalding councillor Christine Lawton said antics were not happening for a short time.
“You could even say they are turning it into an Olympic sport,” she told council colleagues.