Cash for Coventry to rid streets of chewing gum
Council aims to clean up shopping areas through new funding
Coventry City Council has announced plans to address the issue of chewing gum litter after receiving a £24,000 grant from the Chewing Gum Task Force.
It's one of 50 areas across the country chosen to receive funding to help clean gum off pavements and prevent further littering.
The grant will be specifically used to clean up four local shopping areas: Ball Hill, Jubilee Crescent, Jardine Crescent, and Earlsdon High Street.
The Chewing Gum Task Force grant scheme is managed by environmental charity Keep Britain Tidy and is financially backed by major gum manufacturers such as Mars Wrigley and Perfetti Van Melle.
There is an investment of up to £10 million spread over the next five years to help councils across the UK tackle gum littering issues.
Behaviour Change, a social enterprise involved in the project, has found that initial funding has led to a reduction in gum littering rates of up to 86% within the first two months in targeted areas.
This decrease persisted for six months after interventions, which included street cleansing and new signage to encourage proper disposal of gum.
Councillor Patricia Hetherton, cabinet member for City Services, expressed enthusiasm about the initiative's potential.
"I am delighted that we have secured this funding. We have seen the difference the amazing gum busting machines can do in our city centre," Councillor Hetherton said.
"And now we can roll them out into the heart of our communities to busy local shopping centres."
According to Keep Britain Tidy, about 77% of streets and 99% of retail sites in England are affected by gum stains.
Allison Ogden-Newton OBE, Chief Executive of the charity, has highlighted the scheme's impact.
"While chewing gum litter remains a stubborn eyesore in our public spaces, the good news is that this scheme is already driving major improvements".
People in Coventry are encouraged to help maintain cleaner, greener streets by properly disposing of chewing gum.