The Green Party has stated the lack of action by a council regarding a dumped car in the River Lagan is “unacceptable.”

The party said Lisburn and Castlereagh City Council “must stop passing the buck” on the dumped car, which lies in a part of the River Lagan covered by that council, just minutes from the Lisburn and Castlereagh Council building, and has been there for a number of years.

The environmental impact of abandoned cars in waterways is significant, and lasts as long as the vehicle is in the water, causing a slow poison to the surrounding ecosystem.

Just one litre of leaked motor oil can contaminate up to one million litres of water, creating films that cut off oxygen for fish and plants.

A car that has been in the River Lagan in Lisburn for years. Pic credit: Green Party Northern Ireland

placeholder image — A car that has been in the River Lagan in Lisburn for years. Pic credit: Green Party Northern Ireland

Long after the internal fluid of the car has gone, iron, copper, and zinc from the frame and brakes continue to slowly dissolve into the water, disrupting the natural chemistry of the riverbed.

Rubber tires, dashboard plastics, and interior fabrics slowly degrade into microplastics and release dangerous organic compounds into the current.

The physical bulk of the vehicle can alter water flow, cause localized erosion, and trap other organic debris.

Local group Lagan Valley Greens are running a petition calling for its removal.

The Green Party has called on Lisburn and Castlereagh City Council to remove the car from the River Lagan. Pic credit: Green Party Northern Ireland

Richard Gill of Lagan Valley Greens said the case “shows how historic neglect is allowed to become normal.”

He said: “It’s appalling to see the Lagan treated like this. If the Council and Stormont can’t deal with an obvious long-term pollution problem, how can people trust them to protect the river from bigger environmental threats?

“We are calling for the car to be removed, responsibility to be agreed, and a proper clean-up plan for the Lagan.”

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Belfast Councillor Anthony Flynn said the response so far has been “unacceptable.”

“This is a test of whether local agencies and Lisburn and Castlereagh City Council will take responsibility for long-standing pollution in plain sight.

“This car has been left in the river for years, right in the heart of the community, and the public deserves better than excuses and buck-passing.

"If something like this can be ignored for so long, what message does that send about other fly-tipping sites?”