North East Lincolnshire Council is launching a new pilot project to help communities to safely clean an alleyway or open space in their neighbourhood.
They are now inviting applications for Clear It, the new voluntary community clearance scheme.
The scheme is aimed at people who live with alleyways or patches of neglected land that suffer with fly-tipping.
Anyone interested can complete an online application form at www.nelincs.gov.uk/clear-it by Thursday 10 March.
So far, about 10 people have applied to take part in the scheme. Expressions of interest will be assessed the week beginning 14 March and successful applicants notified by Friday 18 March.
How does it work?
With Clear It, the Voluntary Community Clearance scheme, the Council aims to support communities to come together, safely clean up an alleyway or an open space in their area and improve community pride.
Volunteers will take responsibility for removing waste from an alleyway or patch of land and Council staff will help dispose of it.
The Council will also provide equipment such as gloves, litter pickers, brushes, bin bags, shovels and large bins.
Officers will arrange a site meeting with successful applicants to assess the site, the amount of waste and agree a date for the work.
Cllr Stewart Swinburn, portfolio holder for Environment and Transport, said:
“We’re launching this new scheme to help people who are willing to come together and clear illegally dumped waste from an alleyway or patch of neglected land that’s not owned by the Council.
“We’d like to see these types of spaces given a fresh start so they become vibrant places the community can enjoy and make better use of.
“Community volunteers in Liverpool started a similar project where they cleared up the mess and the Council took away the rubbish.
“They transformed their alleyways from rubbish dumps into community gardens and safe places for children to play, wouldn’t it be great to see that here?
“If you are keen to transform a neglected alleyway or patch of land, please use the online application form at www.nelincs.gov.uk/clear-it.”
Cllr Ron Shepherd, portfolio holder for Safer and Stronger Communities, added:
“Our new Clear It scheme gives people the opportunity to work with their neighbours and take ownership of their shared space.
“This is something we’ve wanted to introduce for a few months but had to put on hold due to the disruption caused by Covid.
“We sympathise with people whose lives are affected by mess left in their alleyways, but they are private property and it’s not the Council’s job to keep them clean.
“Not all wards have alleyways, so to make the scheme fair and open to all parts of the borough, we are including patches of land that aren’t part of the Council’s usual street cleansing duties. These might be areas where the owner can’t be traced or where it’s not clear who’s responsible for it.
“We’re willing to help those who organise themselves and put plans in place to try and bring their alleyway or a neglected patch of land into use after we’ve helped them by disposing of the rubbish.”
Visit www.nelincs.gov.uk/clear-it for more details. If you have questions about the scheme, please email [email protected].
What can I do if my application is not successful?
There are other options for those who would like to clear their alleyway.
You could work with your neighbours and clean up the mess together. If there are any clearances costs these could be shared with other neighbours. This is a great way to take ownership of your shared space. Please contact the Council for advice before you do this by emailing [email protected].
Community Recycling Centres – Household waste can be taken free of charge to our two community recycling centres. In some circumstances we can give community groups passes to use the tips for waste they clear from alleyways. Please contact the Council for advice about this by emailing [email protected].
Private clearance company – You could pay a private company to clear the waste and dispose of it for you, but make sure they are licensed to take it. Waste carrier licences are issued by the Environment Agency. You can check for licensed waste carriers at https://environment.data.gov.uk/public-register/view/search-waste-carriers-brokers or by calling the Environment Agency on 03708 506 506.
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