Two tonnes of waste was cleared from Yr Eifl and Y Ddôl flats and surrounding area at Ffordd y Mela, Pwllheli on Friday thanks to a lot of hard work and elbow grease by local residents.
Among the agencies taking part in this event were Cartrefi Cymunedol Gwynedd, Gwynedd Council, South Pwllheli Communities First, North Wales Fire and Rescue Service, North Wales Police, Pwllheli Town Council, Keep Wales Tidy, the Probation Trust and others.
The main aim of the clean-up day was to bring agencies and the community together to tackle environmental problems and safety issues which could be a concern to local residents and to leave a marked improvement on conditions in the area.
The day also provided an opportunity to enhance the waste and recycling disposal facilities in the areas. Officers were on hand at Gwynedd Council’s recycling trailer to offer advice, assistance and to raise awareness on matters including environmental crimes, fire safety, crime prevention and housing.
Volunteers working with the agencies filled five skips of waste weighing approximately two tonnes. Rubbish which was disposed of included old sofas, carpets and white goods such as fridges and freezers.
Iona Thomas, Tidy Towns Officer, Gwynedd Council said:
“We are hoping that this day will encourage the local residents to take on responsibility for the local environment and to have a lasting sense of pride in maintaining the appearance of their estate and surroundings, including the safe and considerate disposal of waste and litter.”
Ffion Williams, south Pwllheli Communities First co-ordinator added:
“We were very pleased with the environment day here and hope that the residents and the services which took part have benefited. I believe that such a day is an excellent opportunity for everyone to communicate and an opportunity to share ideas. This gives a community an affirmative boost.”
Councillor Gareth Roberts, Gwynedd Council’s Environment Portfolio Leader said:
“I am delighted to see local people and agencies working together to make Gwynedd a good place to live, work and visit. Now that this hard work has been done I hope that people will continue to respect and take pride in their community and local environment and not allow problems to creep back to this beautiful area.”
Haydn Maxwell, Cartrefi Cymunedol Gwynedd’s Neighbourhood Service Co-ordinator said:
“Our aim at Cartrefi Cymunedol Gwynedd is to ensure that our tenants live in a pleasant and safe environment. Events like this encourage tenants to take pride in their surroundings and it’s also a great opportunity to bring local people together to improve their community. I’d like to thank everyone who took part in the clean-up on Friday including our tenants and partners for their enthusiasm and hard work.”
Terry Williams, North Wales Fire and Rescue Service’s county safety manager for Môn and Gwynedd said:
“One of the main aims of the day was to work in partnership with the community to improve local environmental quality and conditions for all who live in the area. Cleaner neighbourhoods lead to safer neighbourhoods and a reduction in anti social behaviour and crime. We are hoping that this day will encourage the residents to take responsibility for their safety and the environmental condition of their neighbourhood and to take pride in its appearance.”
The event was jointly funded by Cartrefi Cymunedol Gwynedd and the Welsh Government’s Tidy Towns Initiative, which is administrated by Gwynedd Council.
