Operation Springclean
BUSINESS VIEWPOINT WILLIAM L. MATHER
William L. Mather is chairman of Mather and Platt, a director of the National Provincial and District Banks, past president of Manchester Chamber of Commerce, and chairman of the Civic Trust for the North-West.
In north-west England we have a problem. We have a world-wide reputation for ugliness and grime and people brought up in the region have come to accept smog and industrial dereliction as a normal background to life. This acceptance is changing, but not fast enough.
Despite its unhealthy and depressing environ- ment, the north-west region of Britain is one of the world's great creative and industrial areas, with a population larger than that of Scotland and more than twice that of Wales. This population probably represents the greatest concentration of manual skills that exists any- where. But But the capability of both industry and work people and the dynamic of the region still need selling. Unfortunately, as a shop window, the present physical environment of the north- west is almost a non-starter. It is entirely man- made: thousands of acres of ugly, unplanned and worn-out contiguous towns, polluted rivers and streams, stunted trees in the valleys and grimy sheep on the hills. Even the notorious weather partially results from the layer of smog which excludes the sun and traps the moisture, causing a cold, damp climate. But what man has made, man can unmake.
Seven years ago a group of local indus- trialists decided to organise a concerted attack on this problem. A Civic Trust for the North- West was formed, which had as its object `To make the great industrial, commercial, and resi- dential areas centred on Manchester and Salford into an attractive, stimulating and efficient place in which to live and work.' In 1965, when the North-West Regional Eco- nomic Planning Council came into being, its members quickly appreciated that the poor en- vironment was a limiting factor to regional economic progress and a committee was accord-
ingly set up to study the problem. Eighteen months ago the committee produced a report on the environment which made a series of specific recommendations as to how this could most effectively be improved.
As chairman of the Civic Trust for the North- West and also of the committee which pro- duced the environment report, I was able to see that there was full coordination between the two. The report received favourable press com- ment and support from the ministers concerned; especially so, no doubt, since most of the recommendations were for greater regional effort rather than for government action. However, reports soon get forgotten and we felt that action was required, not only to main- tain momentum but to increase it. We decided, therefore, to mount a follow-up operation and to call it `Operation Springclean.' It is timed to culminate in the spring of this year.
'Operation Springclean' asks every indi- vidual and every organisation in the north-west region, which consists of Lancashire, Cheshire and the High Peak District of Derbyshire, to carry out a better spring clean in 1968 than they have ever done before. This is not asking very much of anybody, but we believe that the cumulative effect of the efforts of six and a half million people, over 14,000 firms, 180 local authorities, and all the other organisa- tions in the region, could be tremendous. We
also believe that all participants will be so stimulated when they see the success of their combined efforts through 'Operation Spring- clean' that they will be encouraged to main- tain the improved standards and so develop the new attitude of mind which will reject scruffiness and the second-rate.
The Lord Lieutenants of Lancashire, Cheshire and Derbyshire gave warm support to the pro- ject and five organisations agreed to act as principal sponsors; these were the North-West Regional Economic Planning Council, the Civic Trust for the North-West, the Standing Confer- ence of Local Authorities in the North-West, the North-West Chambers of Commerce Com- mittee, and the CBI North-West Committee. There were nearly, a hundred other sponsors, and these included religious denominations, the armed forces, the Manchester and Merseyside branches of the Institute of Directors, the TUC, universities, schools, youth clubs and so on.
In June 1966 it was agreed that the launch- ing date would be 8 November 1967. as this cleared the holiday period and allowed ade- quate time for planning On 7 November over 50,000 copies of the campaign letter were sent out through the hundred sponsors, who added their own supporting covering letters, and a further 5,000 have been sent out since. The campaign letter explained the object of 'Opera- tion Springclean' and gave some forty sugges- tions for action; these included cleaning buildings, washing paintwork, improved litter collection, clearing derelict sites, the removal of eyesores, planting trees and so oh; it also stated that local committees would shortly be formed. Special letters were sent to mayors and town clerks asking them to form suitable area committees, and appropriate letters were also sent to leading industrialists and MPS.
The aim is to form about-180 area committees which will coordinate and encourage action in each local authority area.' Forty committees are already in operation and .many more are form- ing. Pamphlets are being prepared giving advice on the cleaning and painting of houses, the tidying-up of car parks. the removal of eyesores and similar good-housekeeping activities.
There has been no public appeal for money, since the organisers regard it as important for every person and every organisation to feel that they have made their own individual contribu- tion rather than being aided by 'They.' Much of the staff work has been done by the Civic Trust for the North-West and the North-West Economic Planning Board has also given valuable help. The enthusiastic support which the campaign has met in the region has taken even the organisers by surprise. Already a number of leading firms and one university have voted substantial amounts towards their individual spring cleans and many others are workino° out their budgets.
The Queen intends to tour Lancashire and Cheshire on 16 and 17 May to view 'Operation Springclean.' The tour wilt, as far as possible, consist of visits to those areas where the greatest efforts are being made, so as to give Her .Majesty' an opportunity not only of viewing results but of meeting those people who are making the great- est contributions.
'Operation Springclean' intends and expects to set a new standard of good housekeeping; it intends and expects to get rid once and for all of the grimy image of the industrial north- weft and the attitude of mind which accepts it. We also hope to make the Duke of Lan- caster feel that her visit has been well worth while.
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