Community spirited residents keen to help keep the county clean and tidy are being sought to champion the cause in their local area.
Durham County Council is behind the Street Champions scheme which encourages residents to keep their local neighbourhoods clean and green.
The project is an extension of the Neighbourhood Watch initiative in County Durham and is aimed at ensuring prompt action is taken on environmental problems.
Neighbourhood Watch members have been helping to keep their communities safe for many years.
Now, with the street champions scheme, these dedicated residents are helping to keep their neighbourhoods clean as well as safe.
Street champions are encouraged to report any environmental issues in their neighbourhood such as litter, dog fouling, untidy yards and gardens, abandoned vehicles, graffiti, unsecured property and problems with the storage of business waste.
Oliver Sherratt, head of Direct Services and chair of the Environment Partnership’s ‘Pride in County Durham’ theme group, said: “Environmental problems such as dog fouling, litter, graffiti and untidy properties are important issues which spoil the local environment, are extremely unpleasant for residents and can also bring health risks.
“Just by reporting these issues street champions can help improve their neighbourhood. The more information we get about these problems, and particularly the offenders, the more action we can take to improve our streets and open spaces.”
Street Champions were originally launched in County Durham in 2011 as part of World Environment Day and sees Durham County Council’s Civic Pride Team work alongside Durham Constabulary.
Residents interested in being a Street Champion should join their local Neighbourhood Watch group as the Neighbourhood Watch network will be used to keep street champions informed of relevant issues.
To report an incident or for more information please call Durham County Council on: 03000 261 000.