Spring cleaning for city streets

8:09am Friday 9th May 2008

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RESIDENTS in York are being asked to nominate the city's "grot spots" as part of city council's annual spring clean.

The authority's month-long campaign will focus on cleaning and tidying the city's parks and open spaces, back lanes, road islands and verges.

Residents are being asked to give their support to the campaign by letting the council know which areas they think are in need of a spring clean.

Terry Collins, director of neighbourhood services at City of York Council, said: "Last year's spring clean proved very successful, and was popular with residents so I'm delighted that we can come back with a bigger and better campaign in 2008.

"We've already prepared a list of areas we feel would benefit from a spring clean, but we're also keen to hear from local residents about what they would like to see done."

Coun Andy D'Agorne, leader of the council's Green group, said: "The initiative is very welcome, and ideally we'd like to have it more than once a year.

"My approach is to very promptly report anything I'm aware of - that's the best way of maintaining pride in the living environment, and discouraging other people from either throwing more litter down or adding to the graffiti.

"I think one of the common problems is that the areas that tend to be the worst are where the council isn't actually responsible for them - where it's private property, which means the council has to try and put pressure on the owner of the land, or the wall, or whatever it is.

"We do have problems with graffiti on private property because the council can't just go and clean it up without getting permission from the owner."

Coun D'Agorne said he believed the issue whereby the council had to contact the owner and encourage them to clean the graffiti up, or sign something to give the council permission to do it on their behalf, applied across the city.

Anyone who would like to suggest an area for cleaning should write to: Spring Clean 2008, Eco-Depot, Hazel Court, James Street, York YO10 3DS, or email enquiries@neighbourhoods.gov.uk, or phone the York Pride Action Line, on 01904 551551.