A KIRKBURTON councillor is appealing for people to form a group to help spruce up Huddersfield town centre.

Tory Clr Mark Hemingway, welcomed The Examiner's Clean Up The Town Campaign and felt there must be a lot of people willing to rid the centre of 4ft-high weeds and excess litter.

"There are a lot of people out there who have civic pride.

"I am sure there would be some who are willing to have a go at cleaning up the town centre," he said.

Clr Hemingway, said he had been impressed by the level of support from the public that a recent community project in Kirkburton had received.

"There was an absolutely fabulous public-spirited atmosphere in Kirkburton and I wondered if we could do something similar in Huddersfield," he said.

"In Kirkburton, Kirklees Council lent gardening tools and everyone else lent a hand.

"I run a business and devote about 30 hours a week to the council.

"I would be willing to do as much as I could, but it would need a few other people besides."

Clr Hemingway suggested obtaining flowers from Kirklees nurseries and planting them in raised beds that had been bypassed by council workers.

"If you look at flowerbeds in the town there are some that have been neglected and are a mess," he said.

"It is not a case of a lack of materials.

"A few plants given by Kirklees nurseries is neither here nor there.

"But there must be people like me who own a set of gardening gloves and a trowel who would have a go at planting some flowers and digging out the weeds."

Write to Clr Hemingway, with your name, address and phone number, at: Kirklees Council's Member Services, Princess Street, Huddersfield.

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