It's time to reclaim Leeds's streets from litter louts

The Clean Leeds 2017 launch, which is at Pudsey Civic Hall from 10am to 2pm, is being held in the run up to Keep Britain Tidy’s March GB Spring Clean campaign to get half a million people out and about cleaning up their local communities in March 2017.

It builds on examples from areas such as Guiseley – which has a successful Keep Guiseley Clean group - and hard work after the floods in Kirkstall last year.

Leeds City Council currently spend more than £8million a year cleaning the streets.

Councillor Lucinda Yeadon, deputy leader of Leeds City Council and Executive Member of Environment and Sustainability, saw the community in action in Kirkstall last year.

She said:“There’s loads of people across the city who not only want to see the city clean, but are also prepared to spend a little time and effort playing their part to make sure their community reflects the pride they have in it.

“We can all do a bit – it can be a great way to meet other people locally and just spending an occasional half hour can make a difference.

“Every pound less we have to pay as a council to clean up things is a pound less we have to raise through council tax. So everything we can do to make the city cleaner means it is better for everyone, with cleaner streets, parks and neighbourhoods, as well as less resources wasted because thoughtless people fly-tip, drop litter or don’t clean up after their dogs.”

Jeff Yates, who is one of the people behind Litter Free Guiseley, said: “We’ve had a group here for some years now. We got together because I was sick of seeing discarded litter and wanted to do my bit to make the area less messy. Our group hates the way that litter blights the environment.

“We understand that council services cannot solve the problem alone, so we put something back into our own community by tackling the issue head-on.

“Our main aim is to keep the streets, lanes and green spaces of Guiseley clear of litter with a combination of regular litter picks and liaison with key groups - Leeds City Council Street Cleansing, Morrisons and Guiseley School – to help keep on top of the problem.”

The Guiseley group have picked up more than 4,500 bags of rubbish and have a busu email and phone network of local volunteers to enable speedy action.

Book a place for Thursday’s Pudsey event via www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/clean-leeds-community-action-tickets-30255653474.