Issued: 10 Mar 2008
The Provost of Inverness, Councillor Bob Wynd has renewed his plea for the public to
play their part in keeping the city streets free from chewing chum and reduce the annual
bill of £35,000 it costs the council to combat chewing gum.
Chairman of The Highland Council's Inverness City Committee, Provost Bob Wynd said: "The
removal of used chewing gum from our city streets is an expensive business. We provide
plenty of litter bins, including special chewing gum bins along the High Street, so
there is no need for anyone to discard their used gum by spitting it to the ground. With
the Easter holidays about to start and more visitors arriving, we want to ensure the
city is looking at its best so I am renewing my plea for people take pride in their
surroundings and do their bit to keep our streets litter-free."
In setting its budget for 2008/09, the Council has shown its commitment to keeping
Highland communities cleaner by agreeing to spend an additional £1million on community
works. This includes employing 7 full-time additional street cleaning operatives and 1
littering and dog fouling enforcement officer in Inverness, Nairn and Badenoch.
Provost Bob Wynd met some of the Inverness staff responsible for cleaning the streets
and was shown the special Gum Buster machine they use to clear up chewing gum. He
added: "Littering is an offence. If everyone is a bit more responsible and careful
about how they get rid of their gum, the money we currently use to clear up the mess can
be used to fund more projects to make our city centre a safe and attractive place for
locals and visitors to enjoy."
Over the coming year £150,000 will be spent on grounds maintenance in Inverness Nairn
and Badenoch and Strathspey.