Building pride in Thurrock is the key to Cllr Val Morris-Cook’s cabinet portfolio and she is keen to promote the support the council can provide community groups.
“Thurrock Council works hard to clean and tidy the borough, but we can’t be everywhere all the time,” she said.
“We need the help of community-minded people; residents who want to do their bit.”
When Cllr Morris-Cook met with the council’s environment team last week she was told about how the authority helps and supports local organisations clean up their area.
“I was told that over the past four months the council has supported ten clean-up projects in different parts of the borough, projects where volunteers have spent their spare time picking up litter and really making your Thurrock a clean and greener place to be — somewhere to be proud of.
“In all, the council picked up 250 black sacks of rubbish from these groups.”
She added: “While I congratulate everyone involved in ‘doing their bit’, I have to say something else too. If the people who leave rubbish around, chuck it out of their cars, or simply drop cigarette ends and sweet wrappers engaged their brains and held on to the rubbish until they found a bin, our borough would be a much nicer place to be and live.
Thurrock Council provides both practical assistance with litter-pickers, bin bags and recycling bags, gloves and a collection service as well as advice and assistance on organising a clean up event.
There is a set of guidelines for those wishing to organise a community clean up and they can be found on the council’s website via www.thurrock.gov.uk/cleanstreets
The council may be able to provide a free collection service to those who volunteer to collect litter from public areas such as pavements, footpaths and walkways.
Please do not collect litter from any land which is not in everyday use by the general public.
If you are unsure as to litter pick an area or not, contact the council before proceeding with the clean up as we will not collect litter or refuse gathered from private land.
If an area of private land has a lot of litter on it, advise the council and it will contact the landowner to resolve the problem.
Call 01375 413947 to discuss a central collection point and time for the refuse to be collected.
Residents are asked to report fly-tipping or large amounts of litter/refuse to its free phone number 0800 581 281 and an investigation will be carried out by the Community Protection team.
