Waste amnesty to be repeated in Adur

A waste amnesty and clearance day during which Council staff and residents worked together has proved so successful that it is to be repeated across the Adur district.

The event involved Adur District Council staff visiting Millfield, in Sompting, to collect unwanted bulky items and rubbish including furniture, mattresses, fridges and cookers. In total more than five tonnes of mixed waste and electrical items was removed, some of which  was recycled.

Janet Ashby, Adur District Council’s neighbourhood services manager, said: “The residents of Millfield really worked hard to ensure the day was worthwhile and the collection far exceeded our expectations.

“Most importantly, it’s made the area more pleasant to live in.”

The success of the Millfield event has encouraged the Council to run a similar amnesty and collection in Butts Road in Southwick, for residents of Coates Court, Watling Court, Grange Court and Locks Court, on Friday (22 July).

The residents have been written to and asked to place their waste items outside their homes before 9.30am that day, and to remove items from communal hallways. Similar events are planned for other parts of the district later this year.

Cllr Carson Albury, Adur’s Cabinet Member for Customer Services, said: “We want to encourage ‘virtuous circles’ of behaviour, by listening to the challenges of residents, and working together to fix them. It won’t happen overnight, but the scheme is spreading.

“For single occupancy households, including some of our more vulnerable residents, it can be difficult to get to a tip. But at Millfield the residents came out and sorted the rubbish, which made our work easier.

“It feels like the start of a proactive approach to dealing with the problem, which is good news for everyone. It’s so important to keep waste off the streets. It discourages fly-tipping by outsiders, for one thing, and it makes the community safer because communal hallways get cleared too. It was hard work, but it was worth it. We’ve had positive feedback from residents and are planning future events.”

To report fly-tipping, visit: https://www.adur-worthing.gov.uk/streets-and-travel/report-a-problem/fly-tipping/