RESIDENTS and businesses are to be given the chance to sign up to a charter aimed at keeping York clean.

The Smarter York initiative was launched by City of York Council last year, encouraging people to volunteer to help make York “a beautiful place to live and work” through schemes such as litter clean-ups.

The council’s cabinet will next week be asked to approve two versions of a “Smarter Charter”, one for residents and one for businesses.

If approved, York’s first “spring clean” will be held over four weeks in May, in a different area each week and including Westfield, Tang Hall and Bell Farm, with support from the Community Payback scheme. Residents are asked to suggest the type of work which could be done in these areas.

Coun David Levene, cabinet member for environmental services, said the project enabled the council to be honest about its financial plight while encouraging residents to help.

More information is available at york.gov.uk/smarteryork, by emailing smarter.york@york.gov.uk, phoning 01904 551551, following @CityofYork on twitter or downloading the app.