City centre clean-up underway as part of Summer of Action

Teams from across the council are working together to give Wakefield city centre a fresh look as part of the Summer of Action programme. The work is focused on making the city centre cleaner, safer and more welcoming for residents, visitors and businesses. We want to restore pride in our city by improving some of the busiest streets and public spaces.

A range of council teams are involved, including cleansing, highways and urban gardening teams. Together, they have been carrying out a series of improvements across the city centre.

Recent work includes deep cleaning and sweeping on Jacobs Well Lane, where a mechanical sweeper has been used to clean the road, as well as around the lay-bys and kerb edges by Wakefield One. Cleansing teams have also swept both sides of Westgate, removing leaves, litter and cigarette ends.

Across Westgate, teams have removed weeds from pavements and block paving, cleared overgrown areas around Parliament Street and Smyth Street car park, and carried out hedge cutting and strimming around Marsh Way. Lay-bys and pavements have also been cleared of weeds to help improve the appearance of the area.

Urban gardening teams have been working to tidy key green spaces. This includes clearing weeds from large flower beds and tree bases, and carrying out maintenance around the memorial tree.

To complete the city centre spruce-up, teams will be jet washing Market Street, Queen Street and Westgate. This will help keep paths clean and make the city centre a more attractive place for everyone to enjoy.

Following issues with littering and antisocial behaviour, the area outside Wakefield Exchange has also been cleaned. Litter-picking teams, jet washers and mechanical sweepers have been used to clean entrances and surrounding areas, helping to create a safer and cleaner environment for residents and visitors.

The Summer of Action is a focused programme of improvements that people will see and feel over the coming months. It aims to improve everyday experiences, make life better for residents and build pride of place across the city centre. The pilot programme will be reviewed as it progresses, while longer-term regeneration plans for the city continue to be developed.