Clean and green teams get to work on spring clean blitz

Members of the new clean and green teams with Councillor Jacqui Beswick, Cabinet Member for Housing and Environment at Rochdale Borough Council

A £250,000 spring clean blitz to transform eyesores and grotspots across the borough is well under way.

Officers in the borough’s new clean and green teams have already responded to 173 clean-up requests since they started work in April 15.

The teams have been all over the borough de-weeding, clearing footpaths and litter, removing flytipping and generally brightening up the streets.

The £250,000, which is in addition to the council’s £2m annual street cleaning budget, has funded the establishment of clean and green teams in each township.

The teams respond to requests from the township offices, with clean-up projects happening in a number of districts across the borough.

And residents like what they see, with one contacting the council to say: “I park my car on Manchester Road and noticed the Clean and Green Team working. Just to say they are doing a good job and it looks much, much better.”

Councillor Jacqui Beswick, Cabinet Member for Environment at Rochdale Borough Council, said: “The quality of the physical environment is a huge issue for our residents, who don’t want to see mess and litter ruining their streets. This scheme aims to get our borough sparkling again and we’ve already had some great feedback from residents on the many projects we’ve completed so far. We’re also proud that this project has created new jobs, with our clean and green teams working right on the frontline, where our residents want them to be.”

Two new gateways teams have also been set up to enable the council to step up grounds maintenance in time for summer on key entry routes into the townships, with grass cutting and pruning in these areas now happening every week. Colourful planters are also set to be placed around these key areas in the coming weeks.

All work requests for the clean and green teams need to be made through local township offices.

Rochdale and Pennines
rochdale.township@rochdale.gov.uk
pennines.township@rochdale.gov.uk
01706 924802

Middleton
middleton.township@rochdale.gov.uk
01706 923124

Heywood
heywood.township@rochdale.gov.uk
01706 922230