Deep clean for the town centre

The scheme, which took place over four nights from 8pm to 8am, aimed to remove unsightly chewing gum and leave pavements pristine clean. The work tied in with a DSD-funded repainting project for many the shop fronts in the town.

Larne Council’s director of Environmental Services, Philip Thompson said: “This has been a case of council responding to the demands of local traders who initially raised concerns with local councillors. When the issue was raised, staff identified specialist companies who undertook this work in a way which minimised trade disruption.

“It was also important to get the timing right just as we move into spring and hopefully have left behind the snow, slush and salt which can leave our footpaths very dirty. Our hope is that the newly cleansed town centre will help raise the sense of pride and care in our environment. Having cleaned this area, we will wish to apply a zero tolerance approach to littering and spitting out of gum.”

A number of businesses have shown their support for the work undertaken, with one trader stating: “After the refurbishment of the Town Hall and associated paving, we felt that the rest of the town centre needed a lift and this deep clean was the best way to do it. Full credit to the council for listening and responding to traders concerns. This is a great job which, combined with the repaint scheme, is a positive news story for Larne town centre.”