Ayr councillors wage war on litter

Apr 10 2009

WAR has been declared on litter in Ayr town centre.

And the public must show their support for the campaign.

Three town centre councillors have teamed up to lead the charge in the battle to clean up the Auld Toun.

But they insist that they can’t do it without help.

Elaine Little, Bill Grant and Mike Peddie have spent every Sunday morning for the past year litter-picking in their Ayr West ward.

Now they’ve decided to raise the profile of the campaign in a bid to win support and convince people to clean up their acts.

Councillor Little explained: “Until now we’ve not made a big deal about this because we were happy just to get on with it.

“But it occurs to us that we should be trying to recruit the public.

“We’ve had all sorts of people helping us in the past, including Ayr Academy pupils.

“Even just half an hour once in a while would make all the difference.”

The move comes just days after the Post revealed that South Ayrshire has the dirtiest streets in Scotland, according to the Audit Commission.

The trio’s latest outing netted a massive 22 bags of rubbish in just 10 square yards.

And they hope that if the public are involved it could also help deliver a strong anti-littering message.

Councillor Grant added: “Contrary to public opinion, it’s not just kids that litter. People of all ages are happy to chuck their rubbish away rather than take it home or put it in a bin.

“People have to start taking responsibility for the part they play in littering our streets. It’s not acceptable to behave that way.”

The councillors meet every Sunday at 10am and usually work until noon.

This coming Sunday, April 12, they will meet at the Smith Street end of Ayr train station car park.

Councillor Peddie said: “We want people to have a bit of pride and to take ownership of their town. Even if everyone picked up the rubbish lying in the street outside their homes it would make a big, big difference.

“We’d really like to hear from anyone who is willing to help.”

lTo find out more about the campaign contact Councillor Peddie on 01292 886634.