A 'Cleaner Borough Strategy' which sets out how the Council will keep the area clean and tidy over the next two years was approved by the Council's Cabinet last week.
The strategy focuses on six key areas that the work of the Council will focus on to make the borough a cleaner place, including:
- tackling climate change and enhancing the natural environment – tackling climate change is the number one priority for the Council with a commitment made to being a carbon neutral borough by 2030.
- collective responsibility – the Council will play its part to keep the borough clean and tidy however everyone who lives, works, owns a property or visits the area has a responsibility to keep the borough clean and tidy as well.
- community pride – community activism is invaluable for the area and the Council will support and encourage residents to take positive action to look after their local area.
- managing expectations – keeping the borough clean and tidy is a significant task, so the Council must be clear about what it can and cannot deliver within the resources available.
- communication, engagement and education – the Council will have regular dialogue with schools, residents and businesses about the importance of looking after the area. The Council will listen to feedback and provide clear and accurate information on the importance of disposing of waste correctly.
- strong enforcement – the Council will target people who dump waste and drop litter, ensuring that they are held to account for their actions.
Cabinet Member for Neighbourhoods, Highways and Transport, Cllr Julie Craig, said:
“Residents regularly tell me how important it is to them to live in an area that is clean and tidy and as a Council we are committed to improving the physical appearance of the borough which means that we need to ensure we make best use of the resources we have to ensure the borough looks the best it can.
“An action plan has been developed by the Council which will focus on developing and strengthening clear communications messages focused on taking care of the borough, reviewing policy and process to ensure they are robust, strengthening and improving our enforcement capacity, engaging with the community and developing a community champions programme and initiating an education campaign on the importance of taking care of the environment.
“The 'Cleaner Borough Strategy' helps to set out how we will structure and deliver this important work."