CLEAN SWEEP OF LEAVES

In just 15 days Lewes District Council's mechanical sweepers have collected an impressive 60 tonnes of leaves '“ the equivalent of approximately 8500 refuse bags full.

Councillor Julie Carr, Lewes District Council Lead Member for the Environment, said: "We are delighted with the success of this scheme so far. We expect that we will continue it until around the middle of December, when most of the leaves will have stopped falling.

"Composting leaves is an important element in reducing the amount of material going to landfill sites. Other vital benefits of composting include producing rich humus, improving the soil without chemicals and the protection of scarce peat bogs that are used in the making of most commercially produced potting compost."

It is intended that the leaves into composting scheme will be repeated on an annual basis.

The leaves collected by the Council on the district roads and green spaces will be composted by local organic company Beddingham Compost Co. Ltd.