As a local councillor, I am pleased when residents let me know face to face what is on their mind. Weeds, fly tipping and dog poo often come into the conversation, so I thought I would use this article to update residents on what we have been doing.

In the summer of 2016, all South Lakeland towns seem to become invaded by weeds. They found their way into every nook and cranny in the footpaths, pavements, and steps. Not only are weeds unsightly, but they also undermine the masonry and probably hastened the time when repairs are needed. We had to do something, and I am delighted that the two tiers of local government (county and district) came to an agreement on how weeds would be contained. This year, the weeds in the built up areas have been sprayed during the spring and summer. I hope you have noticed an improvement over last year.

However, this Is a new arrangement and it is possible that the supplier may have missed certain areas of your town. If there is anywhere that appears to have been overlooked, please do get in touch with your local councillor, or contact the County Council through their website. The County Council have assured me that they are eager to identify areas that may have been missed to ensure that next year the coverage is even better.

Even though it can incur a significant penalty, fly tipping is still a major problem for this authority. If there is an area where there is regular fly tipping, please do let your local District councillor know. We can put up signs and potentially walk the area to try to deter future activity. Indeed, the situation is so bad that I am in discussion with officers about possible CCTV in certain areas. If you do see someone fly tipping, I would ask you to immediately contact the police by calling 101. (Remember that if you need to dispose of large items just call us and we can help.)

If you see fly tipping waste, please call us on 01539733333,or report it on our website.

Dog fouling is also still a problem. As with fly tipping, we will address the worst affected areas, by putting up signs, by stencilling the area, and by arranging patrols to try to catch and fine the culprits. We may even be able to supply poo bags if the community thinks that will help. We love our dogs in South Lakeland and the vast majority of dog owners act responsibly. It is a shame when a few spoil it for the many.

So if you know of an area that is badly affected by this problem, call or write to your local District councillor. They can then ask the council to take the appropriate actions.

I know we all care about how our area looks. Hopefully by working together we can and will address these issues.