Blitz clean-up campaign launched in Thornton Heath

Thornton Heath is the next area to benefit from the blitz clean-up campaign, following the success of a similar initiative in Norbury 2023 which saw an 84 per cent reduction in fly-tipping in the weeks following Croydon Council's intervention.

An intensive clean-up of Thornton Heath High Street starts this week to make the area cleaner and safer and to help restore pride for residents and businesses in Croydon.

The Council has worked with local community groups and ward councillors and taken part in walkabouts to understand issues in the area better.

The Council will work with its contractors to carry out a coordinated approach to:

• Tackle fly-tipping – using data to identify and clean up hotspots in public spaces, and working with landowners to ensure they remove fly-tipping on private land.
• Clean graffiti and flyposting, including supporting small businesses with a first clean free of charge, and tips to keep their shops looking great and to fight vandalism in the long term.
• Mechanically sweeping pavements where necessary
• Clearing gullies and gutters to remove leaves and dirt that can cause flooding.
• Enhance parking management so residents are not inconvenienced by illegal parking.
• Check businesses are following Trading Standards’ rules to make sure traders have the correct licences and are not selling prohibited goods, as well as checking they are not presenting goods for sale outside their permitted area on the pavement.

During the clean-up, the council will be working with local businesses and residents providing advice on support to help keep the area looking its best after the clean-up.

Everyone can play their part by reporting issues such as fly-tipping, graffiti, and overflowing bins via Love Clean Streets.

The Love Clean Streets app can be used on smartphones or users can access it on a browser from a home computer.

The council has used data from Love Clean Streets, as well as from residents and during walkabouts to help identify the areas that will benefit from a clean-up the most.

This data will be used to identify future areas for targeted clean-ups.

Clean streets are a top priority for Jason Perry, Executive Mayor of Croydon, who said: “Our blitz clean-up in Norbury proved that if an area looks good, people treat it better and are less likely to fly-tip and drop litter.

“It’s great that we are now going to focus on Thornton Heath so these local residents and businesses can benefit.

“Clean streets are so important, and we all have a part to play in making sure our neighbourhoods are places we’re proud to live in.

“I encourage all residents in Thornton Heath to get behind this targeted clean-up of the area and help us keep it looking its best.”

The council have been working with the Thornton Heath Community Action Team (THCAT), which are a group of local volunteers that have been taking action to improve Thornton Heath since 2015. 

Thornton Heath Community Action Team, said: “THCAT is very pleased to be a partner with Croydon Council in the clean-up blitz along our High Street and hopes that all local residents, businesses and organisations will help to keep the area clean and tidy once the blitz clean-up is over.

“There are so many reasons for local people to get involved in improving our area - to make us feel safer, to portray a better image of where we live, to help us feel more pride in our area, to help improve mental health and reduce ASB, and because so much research shows the benefits of a cleaner, greener environment.

“To get involved, don’t just walk past dumped rubbish - report it; get planting and tidying front gardens to make your street look more cared for; spread the word.”