Cuts would 'undermine' work, warns litter picker

A litter picker warns plans by a council to cut its street cleaning budget by 10% will "undermine" everything volunteers are doing to keep Coventry clean.

Campaigner Frank Beechey has called on Coventry City Council not to remove £700,000 from the department in the overall 2024/25 budget.

He said that fly-tipping in the city was so bad that he and other volunteers once cleared more than 60kg of rubbish from the Wyken area of the city, only for the same amount to be dumped the next day.

A council spokesperson said no decision on the plans would be made until councillors voted on the budget in February.

More than 200 people have signed a petition, launched by Mr Beechey, which has called on the council to scrap the proposed street cleaning cuts.

The move comes as the council aims to plug a £10.8m budget shortfall for the 2025-26 financial year.

Mr Beechey acknowledged that "some progress has been made" by the council in recent years.

In 2024, the authority increased fines for fly-tippers to £1,000 and installed cameras in hotspots.

However, he said preventing littering would save the council money "in the long run".

"A clean city attracts business; we know it does. It boosts tourists and it enhances our quality of life," he said.

"It shouldn't be a luxury – it's a fundamental right to have clean streets.

"When I then saw the cuts in the budget, I was flabbergasted."

Speaking at a meeting on Monday, cabinet member for finance, Richard Brown, said he understands the frustration of litter pickers.

A council spokesperson said: "Tackling fly-tipping remains a key priority for the council, and our officers continue to work hard on this issue."

This news was gathered by the Local Democracy Reporting Service, which covers councils and other public service organisations.

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