Cobridge Day of Action Brings Partners and Community Together

Partners and community volunteers joined forces together in mid-August to carry out a day of action across the Cobridge area.

Teams from Stoke-on-Trent City Council, Staffordshire Police, the DVLA, local charities and groups of local children took part in a comprehensive environmental clean-up of streets, alleyways, gulleys, gardens, parks, street furniture and open spaces in the neighbourhood.

In preparation for the Day of Action, the environmental crime team identified 96 properties in the Cobridge area with waste within the gardens. Formal warnings were issued and, during Tuesday’s exercise, it was noted that 41 of these properties had cleaned their gardens while the remaining 55 properties received further warnings in readiness for enforcement action.

Elsewhere:

• The council parks team cut back and cleaned the Cobridge park boundary
• The waste services team visited 42 shops, alongside an environmental enforcement officer, giving advice and guidance on waste management
• Two new double bins were installed on Elder road by the park entrances
• The DVLA conducted a walkabout to target untaxed vehicles
• The council’s private sector housing team paid several visits to known empty residential properties, including three with prohibition orders – a formal legal notice banning or restricting the use of all or part of a residential building.

Councillor Duncan Walker, cabinet member for safe and resilient communities and housing, said:

“The strength of purpose demonstrated by these partners pulling together for a common cause in Cobridge was only matched by the community spirit shown by them and the neighbourhood they serve.

“Members of the council’s environmental crime team worked with officers from trade waste and visited local businesses to educate on waste disposal whilst the highways team attended with the gully tanker to cleanse a number of drains throughout several targeted streets in the area.

“Adding to this effort, council teams cleared fly-tipping from the roads and alleys, and also tidied the streets – ably assisted along the way by Police Community Support Officers, police cadets and local children who helped with a community litter pick.

“Our focus is on keeping the community safe, clean and welcoming through education, engagement and, if required, enforcement.”

Sergeant Nathan Moghaddam, of the Stoke-on-Trent north local policing team, said:

“This was a successful day working alongside a number of local partners.

“Officers assisted colleagues from Stoke-on-Trent City Council with an environmental clean-up of local areas whilst engaging with local residents.

“We will continue to work alongside local partners to make Stoke-on-Trent a safer place for people to live and work.”