Leeds is cracking down on one of the City Centre's biggest eyesores
The scheme will see a deep clean of streets in the city centre
Thousands of pieces of chewing gum will be scrubbed from some of Leeds city centre's busiest streets this summer.
It comes after Leeds City Council secured more than £25,000 in national funding to tackle one of the city's most stubborn eyesores.
The funding, which came from the national Chewing Gum Task Force, will be used to do a deep clean of streets in the city centre and the application of a pavement protector that prevents staining and makes it easier to remove gum in the future.
Working closely with Leeds Business Improvement District, the deep-clean will take on Call Lane, Duncan Street and Lower Briggate; New York and York Street by the bus station and Cloth Hall Street next to the Corn Exchange.
Leeds City Council executive member for environment Councillor James Gibson said: “We are very pleased to have secured this national funding through Keep Britain Tidy to help remove chewing gum from some of the busiest streets in Leeds city centre.
“While most people dispose of their chewing gum responsibly, discarded gum can have a significant impact on the appearance of public spaces. We would encourage everyone to use the nearest bin so that together we can help keep our city centre clean and welcoming.
“The new signage will also help raise awareness of the importance of looking after our environment and encourage people to play their part in keeping Leeds city centre as clean and attractive as possible for everyone to enjoy.”
Allison Ogden-Newton OBE, Keep Britain Tidy’s Chief Executive, said: “While chewing gum litter remains a stubborn eyesore in our public spaces, the good news is that this scheme is already driving major improvements.
“As an environmental charity, we know that every piece of gum dropped irresponsibly damages the environment, taking years to break down naturally, while also leaving taxpayers to foot the bill for costly clean-up operations.
“Everyone in Leeds can play a part in creating cleaner, greener streets for all by binning their gum properly.”