Over 16 tonnes of debris including discarded children’s toys, wood and mattresses have been removed from streets across North East Lincolnshire as the authority’s volunteer-based ‘Clear It’ scheme gets underway.
The council issued an appeal back in January where it asked the public to volunteer to help clean neglected and littered patches of land after just 12 people signed up to the initiative following the initial launch in November.
Those who signed up were provided with litter pickers, bags and bins as part of the scheme which asks them to “take responsibility” for removing waste from alleyways or patches of land. Council staff then helped to dispose of it.
Discussing the scheme last month, Councillor Ron Shepherd, portfolio holder for Safer and Stronger Communities, said:
“Our Clear It scheme gives people the opportunity to work with their neighbours and take ownership of their shared space. We sympathise with people whose lives are affected by mess left in their alleyways, but they are private property and it’s not the Council’s job to keep them clean.
“Not all wards have alleyways, so to make the scheme fair and open to all parts of the borough, we are including patches of land that aren’t part of the Council’s usual street cleansing duties. These might be areas where the owner can’t be traced or where it’s not clear who’s responsible for it.”
The first phase of the project has resulted in 16 tonnes of waste being removed from Oxford Court in Grimsby. There are another 11 locations to be cleared as the scheme continues throughout the year.
Stewart Swinburn, Portfolio Holder for Transport and Environment added: “It’s great to see the Clear It scheme taking effect in such a positive way. As a Council, we’re dedicated to improving our borough however we can. I’d also like to thank the crews and volunteers for giving up their time and to praise them for doing such an amazing job.
“I look forward to seeing more transformations like this across the borough in the coming weeks and months as we try to tackle the issues that are residents are most concerned about.”
