PLANS to achieve plastic-free community status for Bradford on Avon are gathering pace.

The town’s plastic-free campaign group is to set up a steering group and seek council support for its bid to achieve the status.

Group organiser John Pearce says they hope to use a Surfers Against Sewage framework to achieve the status, which will see Bradford on Avon residents and businesses being urged to cut out single-use plastic items.

He said: “After a successful effort to get most local hospitality venues to stop using plastic straws, which was an important but small awareness-raising first step, we think the most effective way forward is to use the framework provided by the Surfers Against Sewage (SAS) Plastic Free Communities campaign, with the aim of getting this status for the town.

“It is a similar concept to the Fairtrade town accreditation - an award given to a community that achieves certain steps to change behaviour.

“It has already been achieved by some other local towns - Wells and Weston Super Mare recently achieved plastic-free community status - while others like Frome are working towards it.”

To achieve the status, Bradford on Avon will need to take five key steps, including setting up a local steering group with council representation on board and obtaining support from the town’s businesses.

Mr Pearce said: “We have written to the town council and had an encouraging response from the Mayor and Leader, so really hope we are pushing against an open door.

“The Council is going to discuss the possibility of a resolution at their Environment and Planning Committee on August 28, and if agreed there the idea of a resolution will go to Full Council on September 4.

“The resolution will be to support the application to be a plastic-free community, and to phase out all single-use plastic on council premises and council-organised events and catering.

“The resolution is a key part of the application, and will also need the council to agree for a councillor to sit on our steering group.

“We need to get three businesses to phase out an item of single-use plastic; this objective has probably already been met with our straws campaign, but we obviously hope to push this much further than just three items.

“We need to get over half of community spaces on board and a third of local schools, and we will need to organise two events within a calendar year, such as a stall or plastic-free picnic.

“We will also need a steering group, including a councillor. We already have one volunteer from within the Facebook group but would welcome more.”

Mr Pearce is asking residents to message him via the Facebook group if they are interested in being on the steering group.

“A first meeting is pencilled in for September and we hope by then to have support from the town council.”

For more details on the Plastic-Free Bradford on Avon campaign go to https://www.facebook.com/groups/628230857522340/

For further information on Surfers Against Sewage plastic-free community status go to https://www.sas.org.uk/your-community-toolkit/