'I went and had a look if the Northampton's new £5million pavement is already covered in chewing gum – yes it is'

The short answer is, yes it is. However help is on the way in the form of new machinery purchased by West Northamptonshire Council (WNC).

Works by WNC to refurbish Abington Street and Fish Street, giving the area a new look, have been ongoing since February 2024.

The £5 million project has been was due to be “mostly complete” by November 2024; however, some finishing touches are scheduled to be completed in the New Year.

Contractors Kier “temporarily paused” the work at the start of December to “minimise disruption” due to the festive season. However, works have not yet restarted.

WNC say the project is not delayed, despite the Chron reporting it to be so. The overall completion of the project was always set to be ‘Winter 24/25’ – and WNC say this remains the case and therefore there is no delay.

Upon publishing this article, the Chron noticed reader comments drawing attention to the fact that the pavement is already covered in chewing gum.

Andy Lewis said: “Streets are awful already with litter and chewing gum.”

Sarah Hopper added: “I was just going to comment about the amount of chewing gum on the new paving. Don’t spend the money if you can’t even maintain it!”

Ellie Hampton replied, saying: “I don't get that. I've never spat chewing gum out on the street. I can't believe so many people do this; it's disgusting!”

I went down to have a look and can confirm that the area around Abington Street and outside the Grosvenor Centre is covered in deeply stamped-in chewing gum.

My first thought was, this is why we can't have nice things – although the new paving seems to be a devisive topic in town.

However, the point still stands: what’s the point of trying to make the town nicer if, quite clearly, loads of people are spitting out chewing gum everywhere? I'd ask those same people if they did that at home, I suspect, probably not.

I asked WNC if there was a plan in place to clean up this filthy mess from the street. They replied, saying they have invested in a new small mechanical sweeper to improve the cleanliness of these areas. It remains to be seen how effective that is and whether it can keep up the volume.

Here’s what the council said: “We have enhanced our cleansing operations around Market Square, Abington Street, and Fish Street. In partnership with our contractor, we have invested in a new small mechanical sweeper to improve the cleanliness of these areas.

“The new sweeper is designed to efficiently clear the majority of litter and detritus, supported by manual sweeping and litter picking. Additionally, the machine features a lance attachment that transforms it into a pressure washer, allowing for enhanced street washing and gum removal services when weather conditions permit.

“Please note that it is an offence to drop gum or litter. We urge everyone to use the many bins provided to help keep our streets clean.

“This initiative will be further supported by an enhanced cleaning schedule once the current scheme is complete, ensuring that our streets remain clean and welcoming for all residents and visitors.”