£1.5M INTO OUR COMMUNITY ACTION TEAMS
fantastic news for those living and working in the borough and a great demonstration of the way Telford & Wrekin Council works as a cooperative with communities.” As part of the extra £16 million being invested across Telford & Wrekin as part of the borough council’s Covid recovery programme, another £1.5 million is being pumped into the Community Action Teams, to keep local spaces cleaner and greener. The teams get involved in a range of projects which can vary depending on the area and season, for instance neighbourhood enforcement teams inspect areas across the borough for any on and off street parking, carry out school patrols, fly tipping investigations, abandoned vehicles along with general litter and dog fouling patrols In addition, the grounds maintenance and street cleaning which is delivered by Telford and Wrekin Council’s official partner idverde, carry out jobs such as mowing grass, pruning shrubs, keeping hedges in check, planting flower beds and planters, edging borders, tending wildflower areas, weeding, marking out sports pitches, collecting leaves and looking after trees and woodlands. Among the projects has been the environmental maintenance on an open space in Lawley and Overdale: a Green Guarantee site St Helier Drive in Dawley Bank. The area was cleared and a bench and planting was funded by the parish council and positioned to
The CAT Team have been busy enhancing footways, clearing rubbish and fly tips they discover on their rounds, undertaking work on green borders and open spaces and extra work in some churchyards and parks meaning they remain safe and look their best for any visitors to the area. Environment community liaison officer Richard Shaw said: “Extra cutting or pruning of hedgerows and borders can be delivered quickly, without additional bills and are vital in keeping areas looking their best. “These jobs are handed to the skilled team in response to extra inspections they undertake, or after members of the public feedback if they encounter something that needs attention.” “With an officer out ‘on the ground’ there is constant communication with residents, the enforcement teams and community-based organisations, meaning we are able to work together and tackle issues that make a big difference where it matters most. “This means the potential for things to get overlooked is now significantly reduced and if anything does need attention it can be sorted out quickly –
“The community Action Team (CAT) teams are a way of making small differences on the ground that mean a lot to residents, from clearing away graffiti, to cutting back overgrown footpaths
or litter picking. “They are able to move swiftly and deal quickly with local issues as a
priority for each area and address concerns promptly.”
Cllr Lee Carter Cabinet Member for
Neighbourhood, Commercial Services and Regeneration
provide peaceful views across the open space. Over time, additional wildflowers will be added to give an extra pop of colour and provide a mini haven for wildlife. It is small improvements like these, enabled by the CAT
project, that is making a big difference for life across our borough.
TOTALLY TELFORD
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