A new clean-up operation targeting chewing gum-stained pavements is getting underway across the Vale of Glamorgan after the Council secured external funding.
The Vale of Glamorgan Council’s recently formed Street Scene team is using specialist equipment and environmentally friendly cleaning products to remove accumulated chewing gum from busy public areas.
The work is being funded through Keep Britain Tidy’s Chewing Gum Task Force, an initiative supported by major chewing gum manufacturers which provides funding to councils to tackle gum litter.
The Vale was one of 50 councils to successfully secure funding from 78 applicants in 2026.
It was also one of just five councils in Wales to receive funding and one of 16 authorities receiving a grant through the scheme for the first time.
The Council says the project is entirely grant-funded, meaning the work will not place additional pressure on its core budgets.
Cleaning is initially being concentrated in town centres and busy shopping areas where footfall is high and historic chewing gum build-up is considered most significant.
The Street Scene team will work through the targeted areas in phases over the coming weeks, as the Council says it is not possible to clean every street at once.
Cllr Mark Wilson, Cabinet Member for Neighbourhood and Building Services, said: “Keeping our streets and public spaces clean and welcoming is an important part of making our communities great places to live, work and visit.
“This new scheme has provided our Street Scene team with the specialist equipment and resources they need to tackle stubborn chewing gum stains more effectively.
“We’re very pleased to have secured this grant, particularly as one of only five councils in Wales to benefit this year, as it will help us improve the appearance of our communities by making use of external funding, rather than putting additional pressure on the Council’s core budgets.
“Everyone can play a part in keeping the Vale tidy by wrapping their used chewing gum in paper and placing it in a litter bin, or taking it home for disposal.”
The project is one of a number of initiatives being carried out by the Council’s new Street Scene team across towns and villages in the Vale of Glamorgan.
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