Praise has been given to a team of offenders who have helped clean up Churchdown village.
Probationers on the Community Payback scheme in the village have been working on various projects to help clean up certain areas.
When an offender is given a community sentence they have to carry out between 40 and 300 hours of unpaid work as part of the Community Payback scheme.
This work benefits many and means the offenders pay back the community for their crimes by doing work including removing graffiti, clearing litter and working on projects which will benefit the environment.
Churchdown Parish Council has been taking part in the scheme for months.
At a meeting this month members only had good things to say about the probationers who have helped clean up their village.
Councillor Roy Nutting said he hoped the team would continue working on various projects.
It will be a long time before the brambles come back to Station Road and the work they have done at the community centre is fantastic.
As a result of the work the team has done so far the parish council has agreed to give them a major project in the village.
According to council clerk Ruth Warne, the land behind Churchdown burial ground is overgrown and in need of some maintenance work.
We really just want to improve the area and let some light in and giving the project to the Community Payback team is a great idea, It is a project that will be really beneficial for the whole Churchdown community as well as the offenders as they will get to work on the same project for about 12 days. During a walk through of the site we discovered a number of little paths littered through the area so we know people use it. This also makes it the council’s responsibility to ensure the area is safe for anyone who wants to use it.
It is likely to cost the parish council £50 a day to have the Community Payback team finish the project over a series of 12 visits.
Although, at the meeting, there was a discussion of getting a discounted price for booking the team for a bulk of 12 sessions.
If you have any ideas of projects which could be carried out by a Community Payback team in your area the email the National Offender Management Service via CP_@justice.gov.uk.