A scheme to help communities safely clean alleyways and open spaces in their neighbourhoods has been relaunched by North East Lincolnshire Council.
The scheme, called ‘Clear It’, aims to help people who live with alleyways or patches of neglected land that suffer from fly-tipping and littering clear the waste through volunteering.
Volunteers will help clear areas, along with council workers who will also lend equipment such as litter pickers, bin bags and large bins.
Last year, the schemed helped to clear out several alleyways across the borough, including on Castle Street in the East Marsh, where over seven tonnes of waste were cleared including a fridge and unicorn head.
Councillor Henry Hudson, portfolio holder for Environment and Net Zero, said: “We’re bringing back Clear It to help those who are willing to come together and clear illegally dumped waste from an alleyway or patch of neglected land that’s not owned by the Council.
“When we first launched Clear It in 2022, we helped volunteers dispose of 48.73 tonnes of illegally dumped waste from problem areas. We’d like to see these types of spaces given a fresh start so they become vibrant places the community can enjoy and make better use of.”
Councillor Ron Shepherd, portfolio holder for Safer and Stronger Communities, said: “Clear It 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 and want to do as much as we can to help them.
“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 small areas where the owner can’t be traced or where it’s not clear who’s responsible for it.
“We’re willing to help those who organise themselves and put plans in place to try and bring their alleyway or neglected patch of land into use after we’ve helped them by disposing of the rubbish.”
The scheme is accepting applicants from Wednesday 1 November, with those interested asked to email cleanandgreen@nelincs.gov.uk by the end of December, as work is hoped to begin early next year.
Reporter.
Part of the Gi Grimsby News team since 2024.