Monday 18 March 2019
UK announces £9.75m cash boost for councils to clean up high streets
Councils across England are to receive a share of £9.75 million of funding to clean up their town centres and high streets.
They will be able to use the funds to provide training for residents to remove graffiti or tackle fly-tipping, buy tools such as litter pickers, gloves and brushes and organise events to encourage families to get involved.
Illegal fly-tipping and waste dumping cost taxpayers more than £58 million in clean-up costs, with two-thirds of fly-tipping said to be household waste.
The funding is expected to give local authorities an opportunity to do more, encourage communities to take greater pride in their local area and support campaigns such as Keep Britain Tidy’s Great British Spring Clean Campaign, running from 22nd March to 23rd April.
The announcement also supports commitments in the government’s Litter Strategy and prepares councils and communities ahead of the ‘National High Street Perfect Day’, a locally led and funded community clean-up planned for this summer.
Communities Secretary James Brokenshire MP said: “High streets are at the centre of our communities and as places that are well loved, they sometime need a bit of a spruce up to look their very best.
“That’s why we will be provided councils with £9.75 million to work with community groups who need that extra money to give their local high street a spring clean, making sure their town centres are really spick and span.”
