Good to report that the Council is doing something that might get residents approval.
They say that they “will be joining forces with York and North Yorkshire Probation Trust’s Community Payback team and local residents next month to carry out a city wide spring clean of York.
The council will be working with offenders performing Community Payback, who will be undertaking several ‘spring clean’ tasks throughout the month, such as painting over graffiti, fixing broken fencing, picking litter and clearing overgrown areas.
York residents will also have the opportunity to nominate communal spaces for the team to spruce up and help make a smarter York.
Community Payback is physically demanding work carried out by offenders as part of their community sentence on work that might not otherwise be completed”.
The spring clean will focus on different wards each week throughout May, starting on 7 May in the Westfield ward.
“The overgrown field behind Westfield School has been singled out for the team to work their magic on and transform the space for local residents”. (Hopefully that don’t mean the nature reserve!)
“For the second week the team will be focusing their efforts around the Tang Hall area, then moving on to the Bell Farm area for the third week. For the fourth week the team will be working with volunteers from various parishes and towns across the outer areas of the city.
To follow on from the work the community payback team will be doing there will be Smarter York events in the three wards and outer parishes throughout May and June. At these events residents will be able to sign up to the Smarter Charter and pledge that they will help to keep York clean and tidy.
Children are very welcome at the events where there will be several items of machinery on display and available to sit in, including a refuse truck, mechanical sweeper and a ride on mower”.
The events will be held at –
• •Foxwood Community Centre – Saturday 11 May 12pm-6pm
• •Tang Hall Community Centre – Saturday 18 May 10am-4pm
• •Bell Farm Social Hall – Saturday 25 May 10am-4pm
• •Oaken Grove Community centre, Haxby – Saturday 1 June 10am-2pm