Cheriton Councillor Welcomes Call on Tesco's to Clean Up Their Act

Cheriton Councillor Tim Prater has welcomed a call from Shepway Council to Cheriton's Tesco and Sainsbury's at Park Farm to clean up their car parks and the areas around them.

Cllr Prater agreed with the Council that the situation had got worse recently, and that the area around Tesco in particular needs clearing. Cllr Prater said:

"The trees around Tescos are festooned with bags - there are almost always a few, but it has been much worse recently. Also, the recycling area in the car park at Tesco is often in a real state - when I was there recycling recently, it was pretty much impossible to get to some bins with the amount of rubbish piled by them - and when you did, the bins were full!"

"Tesco is right by junction 12 - the "gateway" to Folkestone for many visitors. We need Tesco to keep it clean for the sake of local residents, the environment and visitors to our area."

"A lot of litter has accumulated in certain areas or been blown into trees and bushes and it looks unsightly. We have given them a week to clean things up and then we'll be going back to make sure things look better," said Cllr Rory Love, Cabinet Member for the Environment.

"Our environmental health officers have built up a good relationship with both supermarkets and I am sure they will co-operate. Once they have cleared them we will be asking what steps they are going to take to keep them clean. Other supermarkets keep their car parks litter-free, so it can be done."