Newark and Sherwood District Council pleased with Cleaner Safer Greener progress

Residents in Newark and Sherwood have been praised for their part in helping to make the district cleaner, safer and greener.

The campaign, which was launched by the district council in the summer, is already said to be making great strides in helping ensure the area is a better place to live, work and visit.

The council said communities and residents have responded positively to the campaign but there is still much work to be done.

The council has seen a huge upsurge in reports of requests relating to litter and street cleansing, with an increase of 88% compared with the same period last year.

In addition, a series of initiatives to tackle litter, fly tipping, dog fouling, anti-social behaviour and crime have taken place since the launch to help deal with the issues.

Various community litter picks have taken place and continue to take place across the district.

A group of athletes from Newark Striders, nicknamed the‘Orange Wombles have carried out a series of plogging trips ­— a combination of 'pick’ and ‘jog’ ­— to help combat the blight of litter in the Newark area.

Community groups including volunteers from Thurgarton, the People of Peace (POP) in Blidworth and the South Clifton Parish Council have also carried out litter picks in their local areas, collecting in excess of 100 bags of rubbish combined.

A day of action, involving a major clear up of the Yorke Drive and Winthorpe Road areas of Newark took place in August.

It tackled issues including litter, dog fouling and fly tipping.

The day was heralded as a resounding success with the weight equivalent of a double decker bus of green waste and bulky waste collected.

A second day of action is taking place today at the Quadrangle area of Blidworth.

Council staff volunteers, waste management teams and community volunteers will play a central role in the day’s activities.

A third is planned for Newark in 2019.

District council leader David Lloyd said: “Our Cleaner, Safer and Greener campaign continues to make great progress.

“The 88% increase in litter reporting by our residents is a huge step. We want to encourage the public to report blights of litter as soon as they discover it so that we can work to remove it as quickly as possible.

“We are really grateful to the wider public and the community litter picking teams for supporting the campaign and keeping the district clean and tidy. However, we all have an individual responsibility to ensure our neighbourhoods are pleasant places.”

Every town and parish in the district will have also now received an information pack on how they can get involved in the campaign.

The pack has set out the achievements of the campaign so far, as well as details and advice on reporting issues such as anti-social behaviour, littering and fog fouling.

Making the district a safer place is the focus of a new Community Alcohol Partnership (CAP) which was launched in Ollerton, Boughton and Edwinstowe.

The partnership aims to reduce the sale of alcohol to young people, advise them on the dangers of drinking and provide alcohol-free activities through youth services and local charities.