Council to buy chewing gum cleaning machine

MID Ulster District Council is set to receive almost £20,000 from a Westminster-run chewing gum grant scheme.

At a meeting last week, members of the environment committee were told the chewing gum taskforce had awarded the council £19,990 to purchase a chewing gum cleaning machine.

The chewing gum taskforce has been set up by the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs and gum manufacturers including Mars Wrigley, to clean up gum litter staining.

Grants of up to £20,000 were available to local authorities and applications for funding were welcomed between May 9 and May 23 this year.

On June 27, the council was informed its application had been successful. The funding will be provided on the condition the cleansing work is completed by October 31 and targeted behaviour change signage is installed within three days of cleaning.

The committee was told the £19,990 grant funding would cover the entire purchase of the chewing gum removal machine.

Councillor Clement Cuthbertson proposed the funding was accepted, praising officers for their work on the application and describing the offer as a “no-brainer”.

“Accepting this offer is a no-brainer,” said the DUP councillor.

“I don’t think anybody would be refusing to accept £20,000 worth of investment.

“Chewing gum is one of the things that has always been a problem. When we had our new surfaces, footpath and kerbings put in, in Dungannon they were polluted with chewing gum within weeks and it was sad to see that.

“It is great to see this machine come into Mid Ulster and I am happy to propose we accept this funding.”

UUP Councillor Trevor Wilson seconded the proposal to accept the funding and praised council staff for their efforts in securing this funding.

Sinn Fein Councillor John McNamee said it was a “great job to get the money” but questioned how many people had been fined for chewing gum offences by the private company the council is working in partnership with to tackle littering in the district.

“I am just wondering, and it is something I will raise in development committee, in relation to WISE, have they ever issued any fines for chewing gum?” asked Cllr McNamee.

“We have plenty for cigarette butts and a few for dog fouling but if I recollect I don’t think anyone has been done for gum yet so it would be an interesting one to raise as there is plenty of gum being littered all other the footpaths.”

By Adam Morton