IT IS TIME to dust off those brooms, dig out the paintbrushes — and join the great Ilfracombe Spring Clean.

And just like last year, there will be plenty of encouragement for residents to get involved in brightening up their local area.

Returning after its huge success last year, the month-long Spring Clean, which is supported by the

, will run throughout April in a bid to bring in a good old fashioned dollop of elbow grease to get the town looking at its best for the coming summer season.

District councillors Paul Yabsley and Paul Crabb are among the leading lights behind the Spring Clean and Ilfracombe Town Council, Transform, Greener Ilfracombe, local faith groups and North Devon Volunteer Bureau will all be lending their strong support.

Cllr Yabsley said: "The High Street is going to be closed on three separate weekends for cleaning activities, the High Street Traders are very keen to get involved and the traders down at St James' Place are also very keen and will be closing the road down there too."

He said that specially organised Action Days had already been arranged for Brookdale Avenue and Oxford Park. The Rotary Club of Ilfracombe will again be turning its attention to the bandstand, where volunteers will give the roof a new coat of paint.

Look out for more details of individual projects, which will be featured in the

in coming weeks.

Cllr Yabsley added: "There are lots of little projects going on throughout the month, so if anyone wants to get involved in the community work, they should get in touch."

Clean-up volunteers can contact Mr Yabsley on: 01271-867484 or email him on pyabsley@aol.com

He said that as well as the "usual suspects" getting involved in pressure washing pavements, scrubbing graffiti and re-painting street furniture, he hoped that householders would take a pride in their own immediate environments, by taking a closer look at their house-fronts and front gardens — the first impressions for visitors to the town.

As an incentive to get involved the

is again running a competition to find the most improved spots in Ilfracombe, in conjunction with Ilfracombe Round Table, who will provide cash prizes for the best bits.

These could be anything from a house front, a garden, public green space, alleyway or even the clearing and planting of a rubbish-strewn verge.

Paul Crabb, from Ilfracombe Round Table, said: "In most cases it won't take a lot of work to make an improvement which will have a massive wow-factor impact, so we hope everyone will get out there in the spring sunshine and get things done."

He said the Round Table would offer a prize of £100 for the most improved spot plus £50 for the runner-up.

To enter the competition, simply e-mail us a photograph of your intended clear-up spot before it is renovated and another after it has been spruced up, so we can see the difference.

The best ones will be published at the end of the month and Round Tablers will judge the winners. E-mail to khelyer@c-dm.co.uk