Millom residents urged to report ‘grot-spots’
Last updated at 13:52, Saturday, 11 April 2009
A CLEAR-UP campaign has been launched to tackle Millom’s vandalism and litter hot-spots before the tourist season.
Residents have been asked to highlight grot-spots in an attempt to “spring clean” the town before the majority of visitors start to arrive.
Millom town councillor Ray Cole has made the appeal for members of the public to come forward and highlight the worst-hit areas.
Cllr Cole will then alert Copeland Borough Council, which is in charge of maintaining the public roads and pavements.He said: “I am asking people to write in about areas that are coming under constant attack. I have some idea of the areas but I don’t know all of them. We can then collect the information and send it to Copeland Borough Council.
“It would be good to give the town a spring clean before the tourism season kicks in.”
The appeal is a continuation of Cllr Cole’s attack on vandalism after Millom Town Council spent £36,000 maintaining the town’s Lancashire Road public toilet block.
Taxpayers forked out more than £10,000 in 2006/07, almost £12,000 in 2007/08 and around £14,000 last year on repairing the toilets.
Cllr Cole also hit out at the town’s vandals at Millom Town Council two weeks ago.
He said: “Millom is drowning in litter.
“It has never been so dirty as it is now. It is deplorable and intolerable.”
The councillor has also requested more street cleaners be employed.
Millom mayor Councillor Pauline Altree has joined him on the warpath after the council spent “hundreds of pounds” on dog dirt bags, which are available free from the borough council offices in St George’s Road.
Cllr Altree said: “It is costing the council hundreds of pounds on poop bags and all people are doing is decorating the trees with them.”
A Copeland Borough Council spokeswoman said: “We are keen to work with town and parish councils to tackle the nasty problem of vandalism. We look into all reports of vandalism and, where appropriate, clear up the mess as quickly as possible.”
Concerned members of the public must submit their complaints in writing to Millom Town Council, Clerks Department, Public Library, St George’s Road, Millom, Cumbria, LA18 4DD before April l7.
First published at 11:48, Thursday, 09 April 2009
Published by http://www.nwemail.co.uk
Cllr Cole is right to speak on this issue but his Council could do more.
Untidy sites and tatty buildings can be dealt with by the Council using their powers and serving notice under section 215 of the Planning Act. Cllr. Cole is in a good position to ask how many of these have been issued.View all 5 comments on this article
Have your say
We,re in Germany at the moment, been travelling with a caravan through France Italy and now Germany. It,s remarkable that in Southern Italy there is almost as much rubbish in the towns as Millom and Haverigg. Austria and Germany are so tidy and clean. The UK is generally the scruffiest of all European countries. Perhaps the new collalition will get tough with the vandals. We can but hope
Posted by Fred Hodges on 30 May 2010 at 16:03