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 the borough's back alleys and streets cleared of rubbish. Crews will spend the coming weeks lifting fly-tips, sweeping litter hotspots and photographing the difference so neighbours can see the change street by street.

The last run of the campaign saw volunteers and council staff haul away hundreds of tonnes of waste from parks and alleyways. Since then, crews have kept removing dumped rubbish daily, sending anything reusable to recycling plants or energy recovery rather than landfill.

This time, the council is adding friendly rivalry to the mix. People can enter their alley for "Clean Alleyway of the Month" or the year-end title, with small prizes and a public nod for the tidiest stretch. Before-and-after pictures and resident shout-outs will be posted on the council's social feeds to keep the progress visible.

Leader Cllr Arooj Shah says the aim is to rebuild pride "one street, one alley, one community at a time", while neighbourhoods chief Cllr Elaine Taylor promises extra attention for the spots residents flag as worst affected. The message is simple: report a mess, and a crew will aim to reach it quickly.

No fixed end date has been given; the council says it will keep the teams out for as long as it takes to work through the backlog residents highlight. The next measure of success will be the volume cleared and the number of streets that stay clean long enough to enter the monthly contest.