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Calderdale gets ready to ‘Clean for the Queen’

Big Clean Up

Calderdale Council is getting ready to take part in the biggest ever clean up of the country, in the run up to the Queen’s 90th birthday. 

The first national anti-litter campaign took place in 1953, the year of the Queen’s coronation. Ahead of the Queen’s 90th birthday on Thursday 21 April, the ‘Clean for the Queen’ campaign aims to inspire people to take action and enjoy a few hours together litter picking to make the places where we live more beautiful.  

From Saturday 5 March, the Council and partners will take to areas in and around Halifax and the Lower and Upper Valley, aiming to target spots in need of a royal clean up. 

Volunteers are more than welcome to help staff, who will target sites that are owned and managed by Calderdale Council, ensuring the borough looks its best. If the land is privately owned, then Environmental Health teams will take steps to encourage the land owner to ‘Clean for the Queen’ or face the possibility of enforcement action.   

Volunteers will need to dress for the occasion. Strong, comfortable boots or shoes will be needed; perhaps also warm, waterproof clothing and headgear. Gloves are essential if litter picking by hand.  

Equipment and bags will be provided, and the Council will help with the removal of anything collected at the end of the day.  

Alternatively, if you are part of a local community group, business or individual who would like to take part in your own event, please visit https://www.keepbritaintidy.org/home to register. 

The targeted ‘Clean for the Queen’ efforts will be starting at 9am in each area unless otherwise stated, and will take place as follows:  

Lower Valley – Sunday 6 to Wednesday 8 March

  •          Sunday 6 March – Targeting the area around Wakefield Road at Junction 25 of the M62.
  •          Monday 7March – Meeting at the car park at Hipperholme crossroads,  teams will clean along Leeds Road, Brighouse Denholmegate Road and Brighouse Road
  •          Tuesday 8March – Meeting in Elland outside the Spire Hospital on Elland Lane, team will spring clean the area around Whitwell Green and Springfield Road.

Halifax North & East – Monday 7 March

  •          Cold Edge Road, Wainstalls – Meet up with the Halifax North & East Team at the windmills off Cold Edge Road. We will be cleaning up to the Calderdale boundary and then making our way back into Wainstalls Village and Mount Tabor. This area has been the target for substantial amounts of flytipping and the Council is working with private land owners to take responsibility for cleaning up their sites.

Halifax Central – Monday 7 March

  •          Join the Community wardens targeting the area above and below Queens Road, meeting at the Queens Road Neighbourhood Centre. The team will be litter picking around the St Augustine’s School area and then above the neighbourhood centre to Mile Cross Road and Warley Road.

Upper Valley

  •          Saturday 5  and Sunday 6 March – Join the ‘In Bloom’ Community group who are ‘Cleaning for the Queen’ at  Junction 22 on the A672 on 5 March between 2 – 3pm and again on 6 March between 11am – 12noon.

You can also get involved on social media. Tweet your own clean up photos using the hashtags #CleanForTheQueen and #Calderdale 

Calderdale Council’s Cabinet Member for Communities, Cllr Steve Sweeney, said: 

“This year, the annual clean up sessions in Calderdale will take place as part of the national Clean for the Queen campaign. 

“These spring clean sessions will deliver a targeted boost to the year-round work of Council staff, giving areas in need of a little extra TLC a helping hand to look their best.” 

For more information and times, or for groups and/or businesses that would like to be involved and carry out their own local clean up, please contact parks@calderdale.gov.ukfor advice and assistance.