Clean up our town

Anti-litter campaigners are confident that a concerted effort to tackle the problem in Ollerton will be a success and could be copied by other communities.

Ollerton and Boughton Town Council hopes to start an anti-litter campaign in September.

Around 30 extra bins, donated by A1 Bridge Flue Systems, will be put in areas where litter is considered the worst.

A town councillor, Mr Terry Bell, said: “If we can reduce it, albeit by only a little bit, it keeps taxes down as the workmen don’t have to go round picking it up.”

As part of the campaign anti-litter posters designed by Dukeries College pupils will be displayed in the town centre.

The college is launching a scheme to reward those that deal with litter properly and it is hoped the idea will spread.

All schools will be visited before September to inform children of the campaign.

There are plans to train two wardens jointly by the town and district councils and Newark and Sherwood Homes to hand out fines for dropping litter.

The town council’s workmen could also be trained to do the role.

Newark and Sherwood District Council’s waste enforcement team will take photographs of areas before and after the campaign to judge its success.

Mr Bell said: “Other towns and villages may want to copy the campaign and take it on if it is successful, as we believe it is going to be.”

Mr Bell said the campaign would concentrate on the main shopping area of the town.

It is being supported by the town’s safer neighbourhood group, and the police beat manager for Ollerton, Pc Colin Oakley, and his team.

The cost of the campaign will be met from the town council budget.