Communities in Swansea are set to benefit from further investment to help spruce up neglected areas.
Swansea Council is aiming to tackle a number of environmental improvement initiatives as part of the Welsh Assembly-led Tidy Towns scheme.
This will be the third year of the scheme which over the previous two years has helped to enhance and transform parts of Swansea that have been blighted by litter, fly-tipping and overgrowth.
Last year residents in Brynmill and Uplands helped remove 80 tonnes of rubbish from some of the most badly affected streets in the area. The work has led to residents helping the Council to continue efforts to keep the community clean and rubbish free.
A number of other clean-ups took place during the year including cleaning up a section of Tennant Canal near Port Tenant. The work involved the removal of six tonnes of overgrowth along the remaining section of canal.
Other work included the transformation of Pontarddulais railway station with help from local schoolchildren and the Council NEAT service.
Tidy Towns funding also helped to provide self assembly garden kits in a number of schools. The kits were developed through inter-departmental working with the Parks Development team and offer the children a hands-on learning experience that practically stimulates environmental learning whilst growing their own plants and vegetables.
Cllr John Hague, Cabinet Member for the Environment at Swansea Council, said: “This is a fantastic initiative aimed at not only cleaning up local communities but also encouraging pride in communities for local residents.
“Whilst the Council does a great deal to help keep streets and communities free of litter, residents really have to take responsibility for where they live and treat it with respect. I’m delighted so much has been achieved.”
Sarah Jones, Swansea Council’s Tidy Towns Project Officer, said: “The aim of Tidy Towns is to enable people and communities to take responsibility for the quality of their local environment so they can contribute towards a clean, safe and tidy Swansea.
“The first two years have been really successful and we would like to say a huge thank you to the hundreds of volunteers and local groups that have really got on board and made a difference in their communities.”
