Friday, March 16, 2007
Tackling a sticky problem
A powerful gum-busting machine is to take to the streets of Bury St Edmunds on Sunday to blast unsightly chewing gum from the pavements.
The machine will spend three days forcing trodden-in gum from the streets using pressurised steam. St Edmundsbury will spend £3500 on the project, which has been designed to improve the environment while raising awareness that dropping gum is classed as littering and could lead to a fine. In total, clearing up gum costs the council an average of £10,000 each year.
The gum-busting machine will be clearing the streets in Haverhill later in the year after the enhancement project at Jubilee Walk is complete.
Cllr Jeremy Farthing, Portfolio Holder with responsibility for the environment, said:
“I regard people who spit gum onto the floor as extremely anti-social, and the result is very expensive to remove. I would encourage and support anything we can do to curb this idiotic tendency. I am pleased we are bringing in this machine but annoyed that we are having to do it. We need to find other solutions, possibly the gum targets, to beat this anti-social behaviour.”
Last year, new £80 fixed penalty notices were introduced to help clamp down on those who drop litter in the borough (with a £20 discount for those who pay promptly). The fine had previously stood at £50. Money generated by the fines is used to offset the cost of cleaning up litter.
