Mixed reaction to clean-up campaign
Community councils differ on environmental project
Jack Thomson Local Democracy Reporter
A campaign to make Renfrewshire a more attractive place to live and work has been hailed as “very successful” in some areas and “like pulling teeth” in others.
Renfrewshire Council’s flagship Team Up to Clean Up initiative has been embraced by particular community councils, while other people have expressed reservations over its effectiveness.
However, Councillor Cathy McEwan, convener of infrastructure, land and environment, called for patience with the five-year programme, which is just 10 months old.
She said: “What you have got to remember is this is a five-year programme.
“We have plenty of time to put this in place and we want to make sure we are doing it properly.
“Things don’t happen overnight but we are on the right track.” Community councillors in Elderslie and Paisley East and Whitehaugh said the programme has had mixed success rates and depends on the willingness of people to participate.
Annie- Marie Balfour, treasurer of Elderslie Community Council, said: “It’s been hit and miss.
“Before people broke off for summer, it was working but now, trying to get people involved is like pulling teeth.”
Robert Moore, secretary of Paisley East and Whitehaugh Community Council, added: “In May we had a clean- up in Seedhill, which was very successful.
“I didn’t hear any criticism. We are hoping to organise one in Whitehaugh in the not too distant future.
“It depends on relying upon people’s goodwill.
“On the whole, we were satisfied by the one organised in Seedhill by Renfrewshire Council.
“There is an initial burst in interest when people see their friends and neighbours out doing something in the community but at a certain point interest starts to wane.”
Ferguslie Community Council’s work at Glencoats Park was praised by Councillor McEwan, while the group’s chair John McIntyre said people were “taking it to stages way beyond where it should have been”.
He said: “We are using it to engage the community.
“We organised a couple of clean- up campaigns picking up litter.
“We used to go up to Glencoats Park as kids because it was beautiful. We went up and picked up the litter and thought we could maybe do more with this.
“So it moved from eight or nine people to more than 50 helping out with park maintenance. We have taken it to the extreme.
“We are there every day and on the weekends as well. One of the guys, Jimmy Johnstone, is 72 and he’s now the official Glencoats Park keeper. “Jimmy is out there every day with the kids picking up littering and trimming back the trees.”