Are you happy with the state of the road or street you live in?

Could it be cleaner and greener? Is there an unclaimed corner that attracts rubbish, or a grotty garden that lets down the rest?

We know that the local environment is top of the list when it comes to making people feel happy about where they live. Here in the Borough of Great Yarmouth we already have so much that makes this a great place to live – the beaches and Broads, historic Great Yarmouth and Gorleston - and a growing sense that the whole area is on the up.

The Borough Council and the Advertiser are teaming up to help that happen by launching the ‘In Roads’ campaign to make our roads and streets cleaner, greener and safer.

But if we are really going to make inroads, we need another partner – You.

The Borough Council is already working to make things better, and making real progress in tackling problems such as abandoned and trashed cars, litter, graffiti, weeds and overgrown green spaces.

For instance:

• Environmental Rangers are in the front line in the fight against the full range of ‘envirocrime’.

• Last year 322 abandoned and burnt-out vehicles were removed by the Borough Council through the Car Clear Partnership with the County Council and Police. This year, the number cleared from the streets is already approaching 200.

• Grass is cut more frequently - on average every 13 days instead of 20. This is carried out for the Council by GYB Services.

• The number of streets meeting cleanliness targets has gone up from 75% to 90%.

• Clean-up ‘hit squads’ have been established to tackle ‘grot spots’.

• Wheelie bins have been rolled out across the Borough, ending the sight of split black bags spilling rotting waste on to our streets.

• Last year 79 fixed penalty fines were issued for fly-tipping and littering.

But there is a limit to how much can be done by the Council, so we need your help to take this campaign even further and make a real difference that everyone will notice.

Throughout 2006 Advertiser will be telling you how the Council, often working with other authorities and partners, is tackling the problems that can blight our streets and green spaces, and how communities are taking up the challenge.

There are already community groups out there doing great work – we will feature some of them in future articles, starting next week. We want to hear about new groups, or even individuals who want to improve the area they live in.

Don’t forget that there are many benefits from making your street or road cleaner and greener:

• People are less likely to drop litter or fly tip in a tidy street;

• Residents feel safer when they go out;

• There’s less anti-social behaviour;

• Property values may rise.

As a start, there are simple things every householder can do to help

• Keeping front gardens tidy and walls and fences in good order immediately creates a good impression – and a lick of paint on tired-looking doors, windows and walls can work wonders.

• Using the new bins properly and putting them out on the correct collection day can also improve the street scene.

• Reporting fly-tipping – and fly-tippers if possible – to the Council.

• Using pots, planters and hanging baskets to bring a splash of natural colour to properties.

• Reporting broken streets lights so they can be fixed quickly. Good lighting helps people feel safer and deters anti-social behaviour.

And to help groups and individuals who want to go further, the Advertiser and the Borough Council will be offering helpful tips and contacts – and a chance to win a £100 voucher towards the cost of improvements being carried out by a community group.