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Pewsey parish councillor Alan Coxon is calling for action on litter problem in the village

A SCATHING verdict has been delivered on the state of Pewsey village: It's a mess.

That was the view of parish councillors following reports of graffiti not removed for months, overflowing litterbins with rubbish strewn around the streets and pavements covered with chewing gum.

Acting chairman Alan Coxon told last week's parish council: "The whole area looks a mess."

The Wilcot Road area near Pewsey Vale School and the school and leisure centre campus also came in for some criticism.

Coun Jacqui Devine, a governor at the secondary school, said: "Litter is something we governors spend a lot of time talking about."

She said the area around the school was subject to swirling "Mistral-type" winds that sucked litter out of overflowing bins and deposited it over a wide area.

Coun Coxon said a litter trail led from the school into the centre of the village.

Coun Bob Woodward said that as long ago as June police volunteered to get youngsters to clear graffiti in the Broomcroft Road area and at Ball Corner.

"It's still there," said Coun Woodward about Broomcroft Road on the Marlborough side of Pewsey. "It looks from that end of the village as if we do not care."

Coun Caroline Dalrymple, who has run an interior design business in the High Street for many years and lives above her shop, said: "There is chewing gum and cigarette ends all around the village.

"There has been broken glass in the road outside my shop for over a week.

"Everywhere you look there is chewing gum, cigarette end and empty cartons.

"I do think we have a very serious problem."

Coun Coxon said: "The village really is in a terrible mess at the moment."

After being told by Coun Devine that no one admitted responsibility for emptying the overflowing litter bins by the school and leisure centre, the council agreed that establishing who was responsible was a priority.

The meeting heard that one community-minded person in the Sharcott area had picked up enough litter to fill two big black bags.

But the bags had been left hanging from a post and no-one had collected them.

Coun Dalrymple said the present street cleaning system was clearly not working and she suggested: "What it really needs is someone with a broom and a dustpan."

But the Devizes Community Area Planning Partnership is waging war on litter. It has called together a task force including councils, police and Sarsen Housing Association to plan a campaign that will go into action this summer. Police will also hand out fixed penalty tickets to anyone seen littering.

11:10am Thursday 28th February 2008

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