A PETITION has been launched to try and and save Salcombe’s roadsweepers as they are set to be replaced with machines.

Judith Newman started the petition after learning that Chad, the road sweeper who has served Salcombe for the last 16 and a half years has been moved to Dartmouth while his job has been replaced by a road sweeping machine, the same thing has also happened in Kingsbridge.

‘Since Chad was moved last week the town is a mess’, Judith said, ‘He used to come in at 6am and by the time most people woke up the town was lovely. Now there is rubbish everywhere and the bins are overflowing.

‘South Hams Council told Chad he could stay until the end of the summer but as soon as they heard about the petition, he was moved early.’

A spokesman for South Hams District Council said: ‘South Hams District Council are rolling out a new fleet of small mechanical street sweepers creating “cleaning teams” for South Hams towns and villages. The teams will be covering the major towns, so the operatives currently in these towns will still be covering their “patch”, but will now be working as part of a wider team.

‘Joining the street cleaning teams there will shortly be a “Hit Squad” who will be responsible for bin repairs, ad-hoc waste, and bulky waste collections. Collectively they will service the entire district providing a much more efficient and cost effective service for South Hams residents.

‘We would not comment on personal matters concerning an employee.’

The petition was designed to try and prevent Chad being moved, but now Judith hopes it will persuade the council to reinstate him in Salcombe. It has already garnered more than 340 signatures.

You can view the petition at: www.gopetition.com/petitions/keep-salcombes-roadsweepers.html Salcombe Town Council will discuss this issue at their meeting tonight at 7pm in Cliff House Library.