Chewing Gum Blighting Maidstone's Streets – Action Now Underway

Chewing gum stuck to pavements is making Maidstone’s town centre look dirty and neglected. It’s not just ugly – it sticks to people’s shoes, ruins the look of our streets, and costs the council thousands to clean. But help is on the way.

Maidstone Borough Council has been awarded nearly £16,000 from the national Chewing Gum Task Force, through Keep Britain Tidy. This money will be used to clean our worst-affected streets and put up signs to stop people dropping gum in the first place. In other areas, this approach has cut gum littering by up to 80% in just two months.

Gum stains cover about 99% of high streets in England. It costs around £7 million a year to clean up – money that could be better spent elsewhere. In Maidstone, it’s dragging down our shopping areas and harming our reputation as a clean and welcoming town.

“This is about pride in our town,” said Cllr Clive English, Maidstone’s Liberal Democrat Cabinet Member for Environmental Services. “Chewing gum on pavements makes our streets look awful, and it’s a disgusting habit. This funding means we can clear it up – but just as importantly, we’ll be working to stop it happening again.”

The council is stepping up street cleaning and encouraging people to take pride in where they live. The message is simple: gum belongs in the bin – not on the ground.