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Harrogate streets targeted in £27,500 chewing gum clean-up

Wednesday, 12 August 2026 14:08

Specialist equipment is used in town centres to remove chewing gum from the streets.

Busy areas of Harrogate are set to receive a chewing gum clean-up after North Yorkshire Council secured £27,500 in new funding.

The council has received the maximum amount available from the Government's national Chewing Gum Task Force for the third year running.

The funding will be used to clean chewing gum from pavements and invest in specialist equipment, as well as supporting efforts to prevent people from dropping gum in the first place.

High-footfall hotspots across Harrogate and Skipton will now be identified for the clean-up.

Previous rounds of funding have been used to tackle chewing gum litter in Malton, Northallerton, Scarborough and Selby.

North Yorkshire Council’s executive member for managing our environment, Cllr Richard Foster, said:

“It is testament to the hard work of our waste and street scene teams that they have secured the maximum amount of funding for the third year running.

“The money has already been put to great use in other towns across the county, with new equipment being used to rid the streets of chewing gum.

“Although most people dispose of their gum responsibly, it continues to spoil the appearance of high footfall areas and well-used public spaces.

“This additional funding will be used to expand our efforts and invest in more specialist equipment which can remove even the most stubborn gum.

“We are committed to keeping our town centres clean and welcoming for residents and visitors alike.”

The Chewing Gum Task Force grant scheme was established by the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs and is run by environmental charity Keep Britain Tidy.

North Yorkshire Council is one of 50 local authorities across the country to successfully apply for funding.

Over the past four years, the Task Force has awarded £6.46million in grants, funding the cleaning of more than 4.15million square metres of pavements.

It says gum littering has been reduced by up to 86 per cent in areas which have received funding.

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