Funding secured to tackle sticky issue of chewing gum on streets

Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole (BCP) Council has received a grant from the Chewing Gum Task Force, administered by environmental charity Keep Britain Tidy, to help clean up chewing gum and reduce gum litter in the area’s town centres.

£27,500 has been awarded to the council and the funding awarded will be used to purchase the specialist equipment required to undertake the task.

Chewing gum will be removed at a number of locations in Bournemouth later this year, including Bournemouth Square, Old Christchurch Road, Commercial Road, Westover Road and Bournemouth Triangle.

Following completion of these grant award locations, the equipment will be used across the wider BCP area and made available for Business Improvement Districts (BIDs) and Town and Parish Councils to operate.

Councillor Andy Hadley, Portfolio Holder for Climate Response, Environment and Energy, said: “As part of our ongoing commitment to improve Bournemouth town centre, we have received this additional funding to kick-start our chewing gum removal programme. Local businesses and residents have told us they want the council to remove unsightly chewing gum litter, so it is great we can now do something about it by utilising this grant.

“The Bournemouth Town Centre Partnership Action Group is making good progress in delivering action. Our amazing partners in the town centre are bringing forward new initiatives, and so I’m pleased BCP Council can now offer this new service, which will target the areas that need it most.”

Cllr Hadley added: “BCP Council is delighted to be working alongside Keep Britain Tidy to improve Bournemouth town centre. Removing chewing gum isn’t easy and requires specialist equipment, but this new process does not require the use of chemicals.

“However, we ask residents to help by discarding their chewing gum in the bin, rather than discarding it on our streets.”

Allison Ogden-Newton OBE, Keep Britain Tidy’s chief executive, said: “Chewing gum litter is highly visible on our high streets and is both difficult and expensive to clean up, so the support for councils provided by the Chewing Gum Task Force and the gum manufacturers is very welcome.

“However, once the gum has been cleaned up, it is vital to remind the public that when it comes to litter, whether it’s gum or anything else, there is only one place it should be – in the bin – and that is why the behaviour change element of the task force’s work is so important.”