Funding announced to help clean up high streets

Councils across England are to receive a share of £9.75 million to help cleani up high streets and town centres, Communities Secretary Rt Hon James Brokenshire MP confirmed.

Councils in partnership with existing community groups will be able to use this one-off funding to support volunteers. They will be able to buy tools such as litter pickers, gloves and brushes and provide training for residents on how to remove graffiti or tackle fly-tipping, as well as organise events to encourage more families to get involved.

The funding will also give local authorities an opportunity to support campaigns such as Keep Britain Tidy’s Great British Spring Clean Campaign, which runs from 22 March to 23 April.

Also planned is the ‘National High Street Perfect Day’, a locally led and funded community clean-up planned for this summer.

The day was first suggested in Sir John Timpson’s High Street Report, compiled by retail industry experts, which called for a community-led approach towards supporting high streets, including one day in the year when every town centre looks the best it possibly can.

The first ever High Street Perfect Day will take place this May in Altrincham, Great Manchester, a winner in the 2018 Great British High Streets awards.

High Streets Minister Jake Berry said:

"This funding will improve community engagement and give councils an opportunity to do more, with community-led approaches to street clean-ups.

"The Great British Spring Clean and the upcoming National High Street Perfect Day are fantastic opportunities for communities to get together in partnership with local businesses and ensure our high streets are places we have even greater pride in."

The Great British High Street Awards, which return this year, are a hotly contested competition to find Britain’s best high street, and the huge response to last year’s competition highlighted retailers and community groups across the country working in innovative ways keep our town centres vibrant and strong.