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21
Oct
Is help on the way to remove Harrogate's streets of chewing gum?
It blights town centres and is estimated to cost local authorities £7 million a year to remove.
But help could be in the pipeline to rid Harrogate's streets of chewing gum.
North Yorkshire Council announced yesterday (October 20) it plans to apply to the government-funded Chewing Gum Task Force for funds to tackle the issue in Harrogate.
The authority revealed it had secured £27,500 from the task force this year to clean gum off pavements in Northallerton, Scarborough and Selby.
It said it would bid again next year for funds to spend in Harrogate and Skipton. Malton and Scarborough benefited last year.
The grant stream, which was established by the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, is run by the environmental charity Keep Britain Tidy.
The maximum awarded to individual councils is £27,500.
North Yorkshire Council is one of 52 UK local authorities to have received funding from the task force, which has awarded £4.88 million over the last three years.
However, the council said estimates suggest local authorities are left to foot a £7 million bill each year to remove chewing gum from the streets nationwide.
Allison Ogden-Newton, Keep Britain Tidy’s chief executive, added:
Chewing gum continues to be an unsightly form of litter in our public spaces – though thankfully the scheme is leading to significant reductions.
People need to remember that disposing irresponsibly of their gum causes harm to our environment as it takes years to decompose naturally – and, ultimately, costs the public purse to clean it up.
Cllr Richard Foster, North Yorkshire Council's executive member for managing our environment, said:
This funding allows us to take targeted action in more places and, thanks to the funding, we have acquired specialist equipment to remove gum from our streets.
We’re committed to creating cleaner, more welcoming town centres for residents and visitors alike, and this initiative is a great step forward.
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