Environment campaign to ‘Take Pride’ is extended

A CAMPAIGN aimed at encouraging Dundonians to look after their environment has been extended for another four years.

The Take Pride i n Your City initiative — backed by the Tele — was launched i n 2015 and was designed to change public attitudes towards taking care of their surroundings .

The campaign aims to promote cleaner, rubbish-free neighbourhoods across the city — as well as enhancing local wildlife — and encourages people to volunteer to help achieve that.

It is being extended as Dundee City Council plans to spend more than £400,000 on making environmental improvements across the city.

Councillors were today being asked to approve a package which includes redesign and landscape works at Lochee Road, Riverside Drive and South Park Road.

Events held earlier in the year engaged residents and got them thinking about what they could do to improve the city.

A gardening session at Baxter Park and volunteering sessions at Trottick Mill Ponds Local Nature Reserve and Dundee Law were held in February when people got involved in litter pickup sessions.

Neighbourhood services convener Councillor Kevin Cordell has backed the extension of the initiative.

He said: “The Take Pride in Your City campaign, supported by the Evening Telegraph, has been successful so far in helping to motivate residents to help in the effort to prevent litter, dog fouling, chewing gum, flytipping and graffiti from blighting our neighbourhoods.

“It is really heartening to hear of the great work being done by people across the city.”

Take Pride in Your City is just one way the council bids to improve biodiversity conservation as legally required by the Nature Conservation (Scotland) Act 2004, according to a report going before councillors.

Despite the absence of rural areas, Dundee has a significant amount of greenspace, which is important for people and wildlife.

The city has a high proportion of open spaces and parks, per head of population, occupying about 28% of the urban areas and acting as a vital component in meeting environmental targets.