A litter-strewn former pub site and neighbouring streets have been cleaned up by a team of Green Party councillors, activists and members of the public.

The community litter-pick, organised by Norwich Green Party, resulted in 12 large bags of rubbish being collected from outside The Grove pub in Cadge Road and other parts of the North Earlham and Larkman estates.

Local adults and children joined Wensum ward councillors Rupert Read, Ruth Makoff and Stephen Altman, and Green party activists Paul Grenville and Kieran Anderson on the event.

After clearing the area outside the boarded-up pub, the dozen-strong team picked up litter along Earlham Grove, Ranworth Road, Beverley Road and Cadge Road.

Dr Read said: 'We found quite a number of cans and bottles which will be recycled. We found various odd things, including a shoe and a massive towel. We also found quite a few coins which the children cleaned up and used.

'We wanted to highlight the terrible condition of the pub. We've been trying to get its owners to tidy up but they really haven't done so. Some of the local shops are productive of a certain amount of litter.

'The good thing is when you clean up a street, people don't litter as much because they see it's clean and think it's inappropriate.

'We talked to lots of passers-by and people thought it was a good thing that we were doing.'

Dr Read said the party intended to make the litter-pick an annual event, or hold it even more regularly if there was demand for it.

Newly-elected Mr Altman said: 'We're doing this just to make a difference, but we're also doing it to put pressure on the owners of The Grove pub site to tidy up the litter on site.

'They have been asked to do this by Green councillors and by the neighbourhood manager. The site is frankly in a pretty terrible state, and that makes it harder to keep the area as a whole in a tidy condition.

'If we take a lead on cleaning up the street around this eyesore, then hopefully the site owners will feel more of an obligation to play their part, too.'

The Grove has been closed for over a year and green councillors have been campaigning for it to be re-opened, claiming it was a crucial resouce for the local community.

However, plans to demolish the pub, formerly owned by Enterprise Inns, and build 10 houses on the site have been submitted.

Are you involved in a project to clean up your community? Contact environment correspondent Jon Welch on 01603 772476 or email jon.welch@archant.co.uk

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