North Devon Council is pleased to be supporting Keep Britain Tidy’s Great British Spring Clean (GBSC) for another year, joining councils, community groups, businesses and residents across the UK in the country’s largest coordinated environmental action.

Celebrating its eleventh anniversary in 2026, the Great British Spring Clean will take place from 13 March to 29 March, encouraging people to come together to remove litter from streets, parks and beaches and help care for their local environment.

The council is inviting residents to get involved by taking part in an organised clean-up event or by carrying out their own litter-picking activities. To help support volunteers, the council’s waste and recycling team will be able to provide litter-picking equipment, subject to availability, and arrange for collected litter to be removed where requests are made in advance.

Councillor Ricky Knight, Lead Member for Climate and Biodiversity at North Devon Council, said: “The Great British Spring Clean is a brilliant opportunity for people to take pride in their local area while making a positive impact on the environment. Whether you’re joining a group or heading out on your own, every effort helps create a cleaner, greener North Devon.”

Councillor Julie Hunt, Lead Member for Waste and Recycling, added: “Even small actions can make a big difference. By supporting residents with equipment and litter collection, we hope to make it as easy as possible for people to get involved. Working together, we can protect our environment and contribute to a national movement that benefits everyone.”

The campaign also supports the council’s Clear Messages initiative, which tackles environmental offences including littering, fly-tipping and dog fouling. Alongside this, the council will soon be running a targeted campaign to address dog fouling, highlighting the importance of reporting incidents. Dog fouling is unhygienic, and reports from the public help officers identify hotspots, target enforcement and take action against offenders. Residents are encouraged to help by being the eyes and ears of their communities and reporting environmental issues when they see them.

North Devon Council is working in partnership with Clean Devon, a multi-agency initiative focused on reducing litter and fly-tipping across the county. As part of the Great British Spring Clean, Clean Devon will be amplifying Keep Britain Tidy’s social media messages and sharing additional local content through Recycle Devon, which will also be shared via the council’s own channels.

Residents or community groups who would like to borrow litter-picking equipment or arrange collection of bagged litter can contact the council by emailing pete.sheppard@northdevon.gov.uk or calling 01271 374776.

Fly-tipping and other environmental offences can be reported via the council’s website or by calling 01271 388870. Further guidance on organising a clean-up can be found on Keep Britain Tidy’s website.