Witney News - Community litter blitz – can you help?

Community litter blitz – can you help?

West Oxfordshire District Council is calling on parish and town councils and local community groups to help keep the district spick and span during 2012.

Cllr David Harvey, Cabinet Member for Environment said, “This will be an exciting year - with both the 2012 Olympic torch relay coming through the district, and the forthcoming Jubilee celebrations, there are plenty of reasons for even more people to visit West Oxfordshire.

“Together this is our chance to showcase our beautiful countryside and historic towns and villages. But we need your help to keep West Oxfordshire clean and would like as many volunteers as possible to help with litter picking in their local area.”

The District Council will provide interested volunteer groups with:
* Litter grabbers
* Safety equipment such as gloves and hi visibility tabards
* Refuse bags
* Any necessary training

The Council will also collect any bagged up litter after a community clean up.

Cllr Harvey went on to say “As well as being an eyesore, dropping litter is a serious offence. There are many groups in West Oxfordshire already dedicated to keeping their local environment clean and carrying out regular litter picks. Compared to other districts, West Oxfordshire has low levels of litter and our standards are much higher than the national average. With the support of the community, our aim is to keep it that way.”

Advice and assistance is also available for issues such as graffiti removal, fly-tipping and other similar concerns.

For more information, including finding out how your community can get involved, visit: www.westoxon.gov.uk or call 01993 861465.