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Douzenier Ken Acott hopes more people will "take pride in the outward appearance of their property" by weeding along the roadside.
Having recently carried out hedge inspections along many St Peter Port roads, I was pleased to find most hedges had been trimmed appropriately but was both surprised and disappointed at the extent of unattended weed growth at the base of walls alongside roads and footpaths and growing in and blocking gutters.
I have read on social media, comments that removal of these weeds was once in the domain of States Works but as the result of cost cutting, it is no longer the case. This may or may not be true, but we can simply complain that the States aren't doing it or we can do something about it. I would like it to be the latter.
Individually, we may not own the footpath, we may not own the road, but we can own the problem. I would advocate that as some already do, each and every householder takes pride in the outward appearance of their property and takes responsibility for their own section of road and path.
When standing for the role of Douzenier for the parish of St Peter Port, one of my aims was to generate and promote civic pride; pride in the state and appearance of our streets, clearing litter as well as vegetation in each of our own 'bit of heaven', in town as well as in residential streets. We can all play our part - retailers for their shops and residents for their homes.
I believe the more who do it, the more others will be encouraged to follow suit.
Big change can be achieved through the combination of small individual measures - so come on residents and retailers of St Peter Port, let's pull together, let's make a difference and let's show pride in our environment.
