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‘Grot spots’ driving people and businesses out of Aylesbury
Councillor Chris Adams at the back of the old Woolwich building in the High Street
‘Grot spots’ are driving shoppers and businesses away from Aylesbury, town councillors have warned.
Piles of rubbish left out by businesses, graffiti and patches overgrown with plants and mould are leaving a poor impression on visitors, councillors said.
Councillor Mike Smith, town council leader, said the authority is fighting a ‘constant battle’ to clean up the mess, while Steve Patrick, deputy mayor, expressed frustration that the same spots were causing trouble time and again.
The old Woolwich building in the High Street, the former Uptown Coffee Bar and outside Poundland were pinpointed as particular rubbish trouble spots.
At a full council meeting last week, it was suggested the council write to businesses to encourage them to do more to keep their sites clean.
Mandeville and Elm Farm councillor Denise Summers said: “This is happening at a time when we are trying to attract more and more people to come into the town and spend money and quite frankly you’re not going to do it.
“You’re going to go to Milton Keynes where it’s big and beautiful. But we want people to know small is beautiful too.”
Councillor Chris Adams, UKIP, said: “Some people need to be a little bit more proud of the town.
“If we want to attract business to the town then we have got to clean up our act.”
Mr Smith suggested a number of different approaches would be needed to solve the problem, including educating people about what to do with their rubbish.
He said: “I’m sure if you looked across the whole town we are no worse than other towns. But there are areas we need to keep an eye on. That image sticks in people’s minds and detracts from the attractiveness of the town.”
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Weather for Aylesbury
Thursday 23 May 2013
Today
Light showers
Temperature: 5 C to 10 C
Wind Speed: 26 mph
Wind direction: North west
Tomorrow
Light showers
Temperature: 4 C to 10 C
Wind Speed: 29 mph
Wind direction: North
