SCHOOLS and parish councils have signed up to take part in Cherwell's 2007 spring clean campaign.

The month-long project encourages communities to be clean and green, and save taxpayers money by reducing the amount of litter dropped in towns, villages, and in the countryside.

Each year local people, schools, community groups, and organisations are asked to devote their time to the campaign, and Cherwell District Council supports their efforts by providing volunteer groups with sacks, gloves, high visibility jackets, and litter picking tools needed to do the job.

Kieron Mallon, the council's executive member for the environment, said: "This is already a great response from local people. Ten schools and 20 parish councils have joined the scheme so far. It will make a real difference to our communities.

"Last year more than 35 groups joined the Spring Clean Cherwell campaign and collected 450 bags of rubbish between them.

"It looks like we could have even more people involved this time and I would like to thank everyone who has volunteered for their time and effort."

The 2007 spring clean campaign was launched as Cherwell revealed the results of its blitz clean in Banbury town centre earlier this month in which 15 tons of rubbish was taken away, 15 fly-tips were reported to the council's cleansing team and graffiti was removed from walls and doors around the town.

Eileen Edwards, the council's head of environmental services, said: "These campaigns are a real team effort. As a council we are committed to doing what we can to keep Cherwell clean and tidy.

"But our job is made very much easier - and costs the council tax payer much less if we have the support of the community.

"It is important to remember that there would be much less to do if residents and visitors didn't drop litter or dump waste in the first place.

"Our message to them is that we have officers working on the fly-tipping issue and anyone who is caught faces prosecution and heavy fines."

The Cherwell initiative is part of a national spring clean supported by ENCAMS, the organisation that runs the Keep Britain Tidy campaign.

  • Recently pupils from Grange School, Banbury, were at the town's museum to help launch England's first community drop-off battery recycling scheme.

The children joined Mr Mallon to encourage residents across the area to Do the Positive Thing and take used and unwanted batteries to one of 22 drop-off points around the district.

All batteries collected during the trial will be recycled.

The scheme will be rolled out nationwide during the next few months.