Eastville residents hail ‘Week of Action’ a success.

More than six tonnes of rubbish were removed from Eastville following a week of council-led action aimed at sprucing up the area.

Over 406 households and businesses were targeted in May and May Gurney, the council’s waste contractor, carried out a major cleaning-up operation of the triangle area which included street-sweeping and the removal of fly-tipping.

Letters were delivered to residents and businesses inviting them to take part in helping to improve their local area. 

Local resident Peter Munro said: “If the triangle residents and council communicate and co-operate, then great things will be achieved.

“Hopefully this will start a landslide and the negative points about the area will soon be buried forever. The vast majority of residents feel the same way, with this new found optimism, we are definitely going in the right direction.”

Councillor Guy Poultney, Cabinet Member for Communities, said: “This clean-up operation has made a significant improvement to a local community and I hope that it will inspire residents and businesses to work with the council and local Neighbourhood Partnership to continue efforts to improve the area.”

“Residential front gardens received a one-off collection of any rubbish that residents had accumulated and the collections were followed up by leaflets advising households how to arrange for their rubbish to be removed in future.

Council officers and residents also delivered letters to householders who continually leave their wheelie bins and recycling boxes out on the pavement.

Householders are asked to only put out their containers on the day of collection. Residents were also asked whether they would welcome a home fire safety visit in which a member of a fire crew will check any existing fire alarms in situ, and fit new alarms where these are not already in place.

Streetscene Enforcement officers visited 11 commercial premises and found one premises where the operators were not complying with commercial legislation, by not having a commercial contract. 

The officer is now working with them to ensure they meet statutory legislation.  Residents also received letters with regards to littering offences related to their front gardens.

Officers will now continue to work with the residents, with ongoing initiatives to improve and enhance their local area, such as the Bristol in Bloom initiative, Its Your Neighbourhood Scheme.  They are also looking to develop a communal garden scheme.

The Week of Action was co-ordinated by the Neighbourhood Engagement Team, through the Greater Fishponds Neighbourhood Partnership’s Environmental Sub group, in response to ongoing local residents concerns.

Avon and Somerset Police also carried out patrols  targeting anti-social behaviour and vice during the week of action which ran until May 5, 2012.