Following the success of the Clean Cornwall Partnership the Barnstaple Town Council Environment Committee allocated £3,000 of its Clean Neighbourhoods budget towards a Tidy up our Town initiative. Members resolved to hold a Tidy up our Town week which ran from 16th - 21st June, where local organisations, businesses, agencies and community groups were encouraged to hold a tidy up project in areas of the town. The weeklong event was launched by the Mayor of Barnstaple Councillor J Phillips and Environment Vice-Chairman Councillor Mrs Barton Constable on Monday 16th June at the Guildhall in Butchers Row Barnstaple. The launch was well attended by all ages including the Chairman of North Devon Council Councillor Harrison and pupils from the Pilton Association of Schools.
The first event to kick off the Tidy up our Town week was the Sunnybank Allotment Association this project was organised by Mrs Anne Rooke the Sunnybank Allotment Association representative. The first skip was full within 30 minutes and the event ran over two days with a second skip being filled the next day. On Tuesday 17th June the Barnstaple Allotment Association continued with its Tidy up at the Higher Raleigh allotment site which was lead by Mrs Freer.
Wednesday 18th June the Fort Street Residents were out in force at 10.30am clearing an un-adopted lane along the back of Fort Street houses. This was a highly motivated community project lead by Mrs Rita Jones. Residents from Hills View were also helping to clear the overgrown lane by the end of the day a 10 cubic metre skip had been filled.
The Pilton Association of Schools turned out in force to support the Tidy up our Town week. Twenty Year 7 eco-volunteers from Pilton Community College, 15 from Bluecoat and as many from Pathfields decided to blitz the Pilton area and womble up as much litter as they could in three one and half-hour sessions lead by Councillor R Knight. They were joined by PCSO Gareth Woolaway, members of Barnstaple Town Council Environment Committee, including the Mayor, Councillor Jeremy Phillips and various volunteer members of staff. The occasion was a great success with all the children excelling themselves in their enthusiasm to clear up every scrap they could find - and that was quite a lot - over forty bin bags were collected and placed into a skip.
They certainly looked a pretty impressive team with their hi-visibility jackets, litter pickers, gloves and bags. The weather did not put them off as they scrambled over banks and delved under bushes (where most of the rubbish had blown and become entangled in the brambles and nettles). The greatest glow of success came when the whole team managed to clear heaps of revolting rubbish from the far end of the Sheepskin car-park. During the day pupils scoured Rotary Gardens, the allotments and Pilton Park, together with all the routes to school and the two-paths along the Yeo. All in all, a very successful day and a first-time community event we would want to support annually.
On Thursday residents in the Yeo Valley Ward and the Children's Summer Club carried out numerous litter-picks in the area which were lead by Councillor Mrs Brown. County Councillor Brian Greenslade attended the event and spent an hour litter-picking with the local residents and children. The Committee of the Barnstaple Ex-Servicemans club fully supported the event and provided black bags and toilet facilities throughout the day. This community driven event was a great success and fully supported by PCSO Matt Reid in total 6 large bags of waste and 4 bags of recycling were collected.
Councillor Mrs Hunt and staff members from McDonalds were out in high-visibility jackets clearing the Newport Cycleway and derelict car park on the industrial unit near Rose Lane. In 4 hours they had managed to fill a 10 cubic metre skip and collect 7 bags of recycling.
On Friday the Barnstaple Allotment Association were back out in force on the Bryants Field allotment site this time being lead by Kim McCartney allotment tenant and secretary of the Association. This was a two day event running into Saturday.
The Tidy up our Town ended with the Police and Red Watch clearing out the river Taw this was a highly successful event with 30 + tyres being pulled from the depths of riverbed, 4 of which were large agricultural tyres.
The Environment Committee Vice-Chairman Councillor Mrs J Barton Constable and Committee Member Councillor J Green attended all the events throughout the week. Councillor Mrs Jo Barton Constable said "I am very proud to be associated with this event it has been a tremendous success and I am hoping that in the future we can build on the relationships that have been formed with local businesses, agencies and neighbourhoods to make Tidy up our Town a regular event in our towns' calendar. I would like to thank all those who took part and made this event such a success".
The event was supported by North Devon Council who provided 36 litter-picks and waste and recycling bags. Other agencies and businesses in the town that supported the event were Barnstaple Youth Council, McDonalds, Frankmarsh Stores, Pilton Community College, Parkins industrial supplies, Hinkley Point A Site Communications and Plymco.
The Barnstaple Town Council Environment Committee funded 7 skips throughout the week and provided those taking part with relevant equipment such as high-visibility jackets, litter-picks and gloves. The Mayor of Barnstaple Councillor J Phillips said ‘The Tidy up our Town Week was a great initiative I enjoyed taking part in the event. It was good to see people of all ages and from all parts of the Town working together to tidy it up. I would like to congratulate the Town Council staff on organising the event so well. I look forward to taking part in Tidy up Barnstaple 2009.