Cleaner, greener Faversham? Swale council officers visit to talk about bins, litter, grounds maintenance etc

The Alexander Centre is the place to be on Monday July 25 if you've got a beef about rubbish; officers from Swale Borough Council will be holding a surgery in the lobby area  from 2 to 4pm.

The council is encouraging Faversham residents to drop in and speak to officers about refuse, recycling, litter, and, on this occasion, leisure and grounds maintenance.

So if you have any questions about Swale Borough Council's street cleaning – a matter of controversy at recent town-council meetings – or waste collections, recycling, litter-bin provision, litter, leisure facilities or grounds maintenance, this is your chance to speak to the officers who address these issues daily.

Council contracts managers Jonathan Longley and Alan Marolia, responsible for the day-to-day running of cleansing  and grounds maintenance respectively, will be on hand to discuss any issues that residents have.

Following previous sessions some residents went on a walkabout with Mr Longley in their area to ensure that their specific concerns were being addressed by the council.

He said: "All feedback is treated very seriously and only by listening to residents can we act on these topics and improve on the services that we provide. In previous sessions, residents have enjoyed being able to sit and discuss matters that are important to them in an informal and relaxed atmosphere."

Councillor David Simmons, Swale Borough Council's cabinet member for the environment, said: "It's very important that our staff are a visible presence to the public and this work is in addition to our existing programme of work to make Swale a cleaner and greener place in which to live. Our officers do give free talks to clubs, societies and other groups on request, as well as working with local schools."