I am sick of seeing the standards in Redcar’s cleaning services dropping off on our coastline and town centre.

Every summer there are issues, which to be fair I have often been sympathetic towards the council, after having spent almost a decade running community litter picks through Friends of Redcar and working in partnership. When times have been tough we’ve been out with litter picks just getting on with it.

That said, why are our cleaning teams now coming out now as late as 8am and 9am to clean up from the night before? Why have they removed bins from the seafront and not replaced them? Why have they not brought out the beach comber? Why are standards dropped?

We see positive posts all the time on social media and in the newspapers selling Redcar through the Town Deal initiatives etc., but then they don’t come out and service the place during the height of the tourism season as they should. I’ve written to the Council Leader for an explanation.

“Dear Mary,

“Please can you ask Neighbourhoods – What has happened to our Services in Redcar? There is rubbish everywhere along the seafront and in the town and the bins are overflowing. It’s ridiculous. What message are we sending out to our residents and to tourism?

“The management of the seafront have got the start times completely wrong. In past years they would be out at 6am to clean up from the night before. Even then that wasn’t early enough for this vibrant seaside town during the summer.

“Now the teams are coming out 8am and 9am?? Bins therefore aren’t getting emptied gone 10am and later from the night before.

“Around the country, council teams are out servicing their areas early – even the night before in some places. They leave a lasting impression for their visitors. Here the council have switched off early and then leave it to late morning to appear.

“Is this poor operational decision making, or are they taking advantage of the good nature of community volunteers – or is it direction from above?

“We want our cleaning services back out early. This is a vibrant seaside town that needs to thrive because it depends on visitor trade. And more so – the residents of Redcar deserve better.

“Members Enquiries – Please record this as an official complaint.”

Unemptied bin image image: Leah Quartermain – Friends of Redcar