IS a grot spot getting you down? Is graffiti making you grumpy? Are you fed up with fly tipping?

Now’s your chance to make a real difference to your area.

The Observer has teamed up with Rochdale Council to make the borough a cleaner place to live with a Big Clean campaign. But we can’t do it alone.

The council has decided to put an extra £100,000 towards cleaning up the borough – but the ideas on how the money should be spent need to come from you.

We’re asking local people, community groups, schools, businesses, youth groups, friends and neighbours to get together and come up with ideas about places that they’d like to see tidied up.

It can be anything, from landscaping a grotty piece of overgrown scrubland to creating a place for your children to play, or even creating a local wildlife habitat.

The more creative, the better and the only rule is that the improvements must be to public land and they have to stand the test of time.

Cabinet member for the environment Councillor Wera Hobhouse said: "This is a great opportunity for you to tell us what improvements you want to see on your street, in your village, or anywhere else in the borough.

"We’re determined to make the borough a cleaner, greener place and with your help I’m sure the Big Clean will be a great success.

"This is a really exciting project to be involved in and I can’t wait to see what ideas we get in."

Milnrow residents Jean and Derek Chown said they were backing the campaign. Jean said: "It’s general untidiness that’s the worst thing, like seeing litter and chewing gum down on the floor. We’ll certainly be filling out the application form."

And Kelvin Chaudry, of Smallbridge, added: "It’s open land like playing fields that get the most abuse. It will be good to see a big difference being made."

A successful application will demonstrate that the improvements will:

• Make a positive difference to people’s lives.
• Help make your neighbourhood a cleaner, greener place to be.
• Involve the local community in some way.
• Have a lasting impact.

Nominate your grot spot online at www.rochdale.gov.uk/bigclean or call 0845 226 1800 for an application pack. Deadline is midnight on Friday 12 December