Chewing gum clean-up under way in town centre

A grant of £7,000 has been received to carry out the clean-up in Dorking

Chewing gum is being removed from pavements on four of the busiest streets in a Surrey town centre.

Mole Valley Distict Council (MVDC) received £7,000 from the national Chewing Gum Task Force to carry out the clean-up in Dorking.

The work is taking place in the High Street, South Street, North Street, and West Street and is set to be completed by Tuesday.

Councillor Rosemary Hobbs, from MVDC, said the project will "help to strengthen a sense of pride among residents in our lovely town".

The locations identified were agreed in consultation with the Dorking Business Improvement District.

Preventative signage will be put up to discourage gum littering in the future.

Funding was received by neighbouring Leatherhead in 2024.

Over 50 organisations across the country have successfully applied to the Chewing Gum Task Force, now in its fourth year, for funds to clean gum off pavements and prevent them from being littered again.

Established by the government and run by environmental charity Keep Britain Tidy, the scheme is open to councils across the UK.

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