7.0 Street Cleansing Review

7.1
A substantial amount of preparatory work has been undertaken during the last financial year for Street Cleansing. This primarily involved reviewing the level of resources used and the quality of service delivered.

7.2
We initially undertook an exercise to identify individual cost centres for the service. It became apparent that the most pressing service need identified a lack of resources. A street cleaning detailed service cost analysis will be undertaken in 2003/4 similar to Refuse Collection.

7.3
A street cleansing review has commenced with a number of operational and policy changes occurring following the initial stage of the review process.

1. The combination of various measures during the next financial year will combine to improve standards throughout the Borough area.
2. These pro-active solutions to combat litter consist of the following individual elements.

1. Resources

Six additional Street Cleansing operatives will be deployed throughout the rural and urban area. These additional resources will be distributed as follows:-

• Town Centre Area

• Estates

• Trunk Roads/Villages

Town centre staff will be resourced with a mobile, street washing gum removal machine. The equipment will also be deployed throughout the remainder of the Borough on occasions.

• Transport

One additional vehicle has been purchased to support the existing fleet to transport the operatives around the district.

7.6 (ii) Frequencies

Extensive work is underway to establish a revised frequency schedule compatible with additional resources to standards reconciled to comply with the Environmental Protection Act 1990 Code of Practice.

7.7 (iii) Prosecution

Extensive efforts are underway to secure prosecutions for illegal dumping of litter. We will also instigate litter control notices to premises failing to comply with the local By-laws and/or legislation for litter control. Fixed penalty notice will continue to be served on persons dropping litter in the street, 15 notices were successfully handed out during 2002/3.

7.8 (iv) Education

Regular on-going consultation is planned in our overall strategy for improving standards in the Borough to include the following groups:-

• Education establishments including colleges and schools
• Entertainment Venues
• Retailers
• Tidy Shrewsbury Group
• Parish Councils

A number of meetings have commenced to consider pro-active initiatives and form effective partnership arrangements with these groups.

7.9 (v) Trials/Surveys

A number of trials are about to commence in an effort to both reduce litter waste and control dog fouling in the community. These are identified as follows:-

• Dog fouling bin trial

• Sundorne playing fields (4)
• Sydney Avenue (1)

• Tidy Shrewsbury Group

- Feedback/monitoring

• Education
• Promotion

• Ground Maintenance links to cleansing services to improve standards

• Investment/Style of litter bins

• Approach to town and arterial road (cleanliness)

• Introduction and monitoring of increased local Performance Indicators for the service including:-