More towns in North Yorkshire are set to benefit from cleaner streets after the council secured a government grant to tackle chewing gum litter.
North Yorkshire Council has received £27,500 from the national Chewing Gum Task Force to remove gum from pavements and reduce littering in the first place. The funding will target hotspot areas in Northallerton, Scarborough and Selby as part of the council’s aim to provide clean, attractive, and environmentally sustainable communities.
Last year, the council received the same amount, which was used to clean Malton and Scarborough. A further bid is planned next year to address gum in Harrogate and Skipton.
Commented Cllr Richard Foster, executive member for managing the environment at North Yorkshire Council: “It will always be better if people put their gum in a bin, but unfortunately it is a persistent and unsightly problem that affects the look and feel of our communities.
“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.”
The Chewing Gum Task Force, run by environmental charity Keep Britain Tidy and funded by the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, supports councils across the UK in cleaning up gum and promoting long-term behaviour change. North Yorkshire Council is one of 52 local authorities to receive funding.
Estimates suggest councils spend around £7 million each year cleaning up chewing gum. According to Keep Britain Tidy, about 77% of England’s streets and 99% of retail sites are stained with gum.
Over the past three years, the Chewing Gum Task Force has awarded more than £4.88 million in grants, cleaned over 3.4 million square metres of pavements and reduced gum littering by up to 80%.
Allison Ogden-Newton OBE, chief executive of Keep Britain Tidy, commented: “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.”
