Make Henley clean again

A BUSINESSWOMAN from Henley wants a campaign launched to curb littering in the town.

Eva Rickett, who runs Henley Scan, a scanning and digital company based in King’s Road, with her husband Graham, is unhappy about the cleanliness of the town centre streets.

She told a town council meeting that more should be done to encourage both residents and visitors to take responsibility.

She was unhappy about the amount of litter, especially discarded chewing gum which sticks to the pavements.

Mrs Rickett said: “Because I am such a visual person, which is a credit in my job, I really like the town looking nice.

“I happened to be in Oxford not that long ago and on about every bin there, it said, ‘Thank you for throwing your gum away in me’ or something along those lines.

“I know there have been issues with the paint for all the new bins but the streets are dirtier. We will have been here for 10 years soon and it’s the most wonderful place. I love Henley and have never lived in a place like it.

“I suppose I just want to feel really proud about the place again.

“It isn’t just down to our tax money, councillors and whatever else to clean it, it comes from the people who use and live in Henley.

“I think we are coming to a stage where we are all going to have to take responsibility together.

“I would love to see some sort of ‘Let’s keep Henley clean’ type of campaign.”

Mrs Rickett also spoke to the council in January last year about the amount of commercial waste in the town centre.

She said thought that rubbish left outside coffee shops was damaging the evening ambience, particularly in Market Place.

She also raised concerns about the number of bins that were covered in stickers from disposable vape
packaging.

Following her complaint, Henley Society chairman Geoff Luckett wrote to bakers Gail’s about the issue.

Councillor Kellie Hinton said that a long-term strategy to keep the town clean was needed. She said the town’s entry in this year’s Britain in Bloom competition involved a number of community projects aimed at smartening up the town.

She said: “Henley in Bloom definitely does help, I think, in bringing the community together in making the place look better.

“We have had so many initiatives over the years — kind of flash in the pan, keep Henley clean-type initiatives — and I think what we need is a really long-term campaign which includes education.”

Cllr Hinton agreed about disposable vape stickers being plastered on bins.

She said: “When I see these vape stickers on top of the bins my head explodes. I know it’s not unique to us — there must be people more creatively minded than me around the country that are facing this problem, so what are other people doing?”

Councillor Sarah Miller asked whether the Henley Wombles could help.

This group was set up in 2021, championed by Councillor David Eggleton and former Councillor Will Hamilton, and involves residents picking up litter in areas around their own homes once a month.

Cllr Eggleton said the group was still active.

He said: “They are all individual groups who were given their own areas to do and they are still doing them. I have seen them out. I have been asked for [bin] bags for Luker Avenue.

“I can find out how many are still doing it. No one has handed their vest in to me and we gave out about 60 vests and pickers.”

Cllr Eggleton also thanked the council for renovating the town’s bus shelters.

He asked if advertising boards could be placed in the shelters to generate revenue towards the cost of the town’s bus service.

• What do you think? Write to: Letters, Henley Standard, Caxton House, 1 Station Road, Henley or email letters@henleystandard.co.uk