Cowley next target for city council's clean-up campaign (From thisisoxfordshire)

Cowley next target for city council's clean-up campaign

7:10am Tuesday 29th January 2013 in News By Fran Bardsley, covering Education, East Oxford and Cowley. Call me on 01865 425439

WAR is being declared on discarded cigarettes and dropped chewing gum in Cowley.

Cowley is the latest part of Oxford to be made subject of the Cleaner, Greener Campaign, the city council initiative backed by the Oxford Mail.

Starting today, there will be a two-month crackdown on cigarette butts, chewing gum and litter, with recycling issues highlighted.

Community response officers, parks officers and PCSOs will be on the lookout for people dropping litter, discarding rubbish, throwing away cigarette ends or chewing gum, fly posting or graffiti.

Those caught will face on-the-spot fines of £80, reduced to £55 if paid within 10 days but rising to up to £2,500 in the magistrates’ court if left unpaid.

Specific parts of Cowley are being targeted, including Templars Square Shopping Centre, Templars Retail Park, the John Allen Park and the maisonette blocks in Barns Road.

John Tanner, Oxford City Council board member for a cleaner, greener Oxford, will be at Templars Square today to launch the scheme.

He said: “The Cleaner, Greener campaign has begun to make Oxford, especially the city centre, look a lot tidier.

“But there are still too many people dropping litter, letting their dogs foul the footpath and not recycling as much as they could. The Cowley campaign targets a very specific area and officers have already done a lot of work in the area.

“We hope residents will embrace the campaign and help to keep their neighbourhood tidy.”

Blackbird Leys, East Oxford, Jericho and Barton, have already been targeted as part of the campaign, with different priorities depending on the area.

City council officers will be at Templars Square on Thursday and Friday to spread the word and talk about what has already been done.

Residents at Hockmore Tower, which dominates the centre of Cowley, will be part of the campaign, with better recycling provided at the flats and a drive to encourage people living there to make use of the new facilities.

Action already taken includes work on removing graffiti from the alleyway in John Allen Park which leads to Maidcroft Road, as well as cutting back shrubs in the area.

Three new bins with cigarette attachments have been put in place, and a further three are planned for bus stops.

Wall-hung cigarette-stub bins will also be installed.

Grass seed has been planted on the slope from Between Towns Road to Templars Retail Park, and the alleyway between Barns Road and The Grates deep cleaned.

Templars Square manager Aaron Bayliss said: “It’s a very positive campaign.”