Voices is the Dorset Echo's weekly youth page - written for young people by young people.

AFTER the proposition to prevent litter building up around the Gurkha restaurant with sandbags was literally sandbagged, I want in on the debate.

Correct me if I’m wrong, but there is a level of responsibility for businesses to keep the land around them tidy – if not by law, then by spirit.

Barricading the water that gives the cafe its boat-esque appearance not only flouts the cafe’s uniqueness, but fails to address the issue of littering in itself.

The crevice between the cafe and the walkway allows for litter to be pushed into one place by the flow of the water, making collection easier; barricading it off wouldn’t result in less litter, simply the same amount but more dispersed and harder to retrieve.

Tackling litter requires a two-pronged approach, both around Radipole and in general.

Firstly, we need greater education around littering and the consequences of littering.

Secondly, we need more bins around the area to allow convenient rubbish disposal.

We should also introduce ‘Seabins’.

Seabins are waterborne nets that suck in waste, while allowing the safe passage of birds and fish.

They cost around £2,800 each and would resolve the majority of waterborne rubbish.

So if we combine an attitude fix, seabins and real bins, I think we can clean up this mess for good.

Resolving one of these issues will result in the other being allowed to fester.

Seabins and real bins won’t resolve the amphibious traffic cone I saw and an attitude fix with no new bins is ineffectual.

While more expensive and limited by a word count, I’m confident my idea is better.

By Oliver Streather-Paul