Getting ready for student changeover: What’s happening and how you can help

As the student changeover period approaches we’re working closely with the council and universities to help keep our neighbourhoods clean and safe.

The key change over dates are Tuesday 30th June and Wednesday 1st July, but the council's intensive cleaning activity starts week of 15th June.

In our ward the areas most affected are Beckett Park, Otley Road, Church Wood Avenue, and bits of Meanwood.

What the council is doing

The council’s job during changeover is to collect leftover waste, but more importantly tackling the root causes of why waste ends up dumped on our streets.

Increasingly we pay attention to waste coming from landlords and cleaning contractors. There’s often a noticeable rise in waste from properties a couple of weeks after students move out. We believe some of this could be commercial waste being passed off as student move-out waste.

We'll be out doing observations and door knocking in the areas affected, to encourage donations and keep an eye on what's happening. You're welcome to contact us if you notice an issue.

But please do start by reporting flytipping online. The council waste team will be patrolling the area throughout the changeover period.

Better support and clearer info for students

Working with Unipol there is a single source of information for people moving. All key information is now in one place, the Unipol website.

Reuse and resale

We want to encourage reuse as much as possible. Authorised clothing banks are all available in areas with students living in. Vinted and yard sales are increasingly popular and a good way to keep items in circulation. Please avoid pavement sales, which can create further mess and confusion.

Tackling unauthorised textile banks

We’ve also seen some unauthorised textile banks appearing in the area, often linked to questionable organisations. These often become dumping hotspots, and enforcement officers are taking action to remove them.