Oldham's biggest clean-up campaign is back

Oldham Council has relaunched its largest clean-up drive, Don't Trash Oldham, after residents made clear they want streets, alleyways and parks cleared of rubbish. Crews will spend the coming weeks targeting fly-tipping hot spots and neglected back streets, aiming to repeat last year's feat of lifting hundreds of tonnes of waste.

Since the last big push, council teams have kept removing dumped rubbish block by block. Where they can, they sort it for reuse, recycling or energy recovery instead of sending it to landfill.

This time the council wants neighbours, not just bin crews, to lead the tidy-up. Two new contests, Clean Alleyway of the Month and Cleanest Alleyway of the Year, will hand out prizes to the streets that stay spotless longest. Before-and-after photos and regular updates on social media will track which parts of town are pulling ahead.

Leader Cllr Arooj Shah says the point is pride: when people see a clear alley, they're more likely to keep it that way. Cabinet member Cllr Elaine Taylor adds that crews will focus first on the areas residents have flagged as worst, then keep returning so improvements stick.

No end date has been set; the council describes the relaunch as an ongoing partnership rather than a one-week blitz. The unanswered question is whether enough households will step forward to keep the momentum alive once the initial flurry of litter picks ends.