Redhill residents will see a new street-cleaning push

By GlobeBids Newsroom | Published 4 August 2026

People using Redhill town centre are due to see cleaner pavements and new anti-litter signs after Reigate & Banstead Borough Council secured £12,141.86 to tackle discarded chewing gum. In a notice published on Tuesday, the council said a specialist deep clean of the pedestrian area would take place later in August, with bright lamppost signs to follow.

Specialist cleaning comes first

The initial treatment is intended to remove gum already staining the pedestrian area. The council has not provided an exact cleaning date, but says the work will begin later this month before signage carrying the message “Bin your gum” is installed.

Residents, businesses and visitors are being asked to use the bins already available in the centre. The council installed 32 solar-powered bins in Redhill in 2024 and says they have helped reduce litter; the new campaign focuses specifically on gum rather than adding another set of bins.

National grant backs the Redhill work

Redhill’s £12,141.86 award comes from the Chewing Gum Task Force, established by Defra and administered by Keep Britain Tidy. Reigate & Banstead is one of 50 councils awarded money in the scheme’s fifth year. The programme is funded by gum manufacturers Mars Wrigley and Perfetti Van Melle, with up to £10 million committed over five years.

During the first four years, the task force awarded £6.46 million and supported cleaning across more than 4.15 million square metres of pavement. Programme evaluation by the not-for-profit Behaviour Change recorded reductions in gum littering of up to 86% in the first two months in funded areas, with reductions still observed after six months. Those are scheme-wide findings, not a promised result for Redhill.

Signs aim to prevent fresh stains

Councillor Hannah Avery, the council’s executive member for neighbourhood services, said the cleaning and signage are intended to have a long-term effect and urged residents, businesses and visitors to support the campaign. Keep Britain Tidy chief executive Allison Ogden-Newton said gum can take years to break down and leaves taxpayers facing costly removal, adding that everyone in Redhill can help by disposing of it in a bin.

Source: Reigate and Banstead Borough Council