Harrogate and Skipton are set to benefit from new specialist equipment to clear chewing gum from pavements, after North Yorkshire Council announced yesterday that it has secured the maximum available grant from the Government’s Chewing Gum Task Force for the third year running.
The council has been awarded £27,500, which will fund the identification of gum hotspots across the two towns and investment in equipment capable of removing even stubborn, ground-in gum. In previous years, the funding has been used in Malton, Northallerton, Scarborough and Selby. North Yorkshire is one of 50 local authorities nationally to have secured funding this year.
Cllr Richard Foster, executive member for managing the environment, said: “It is testament to the hard work of our waste and street scene teams that they have secured the maximum amount of funding for the third year running. The money has already been put to great use in other towns across the county, with new equipment being used to rid the streets of chewing gum.
“Although most people dispose of their gum responsibly, it continues to spoil the appearance of high footfall areas and well-used public spaces. This additional funding will be used to expand our efforts and invest in more specialist equipment which can remove even the most stubborn gum. We are committed to keeping our town centres clean and welcoming for residents and visitors alike.”
The Chewing Gum Task Force, run by Keep Britain Tidy on behalf of the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, has awarded £6.46 million in grants over four years, funding the cleaning of more than 4.15 million square metres of pavement and cutting gum littering by up to 86% in funded areas.
