Basingstoke and Deane Borough Council to invest over £500,000 to keep borough clean

Basingstoke and Deane Borough Council has plans to invest more than £500,000 to deliver an enhanced service to keep the borough’s streets clean, tidy and litter free.

The council’s cabinet has stated that restoring pride in where people live is one of its key priorities.

The cabinet is set to approve a proposal to expand the council’s street cleaning and grounds maintenance services at a meeting on Tuesday, September 5.

The proposal will boost the street cleansing team, which carries out key tasks such as litter picking, street sweeping, emptying litter bins and clearing leaf fall, fly-tipping and graffiti, with six more staff to sweep the streets across the whole borough.

A specialist six-strong team will also beset up to target problem areas across the borough and carry out high priority deep cleaning projects in communities.

In addition, a further three staff will be recruited to carry out grounds maintenance work including grass cutting and management of shrubs and hedges.

A new digital mapping officer will also be employed to support the effective delivery of both services.

In the council’s latest residents’ survey, clean and litter-free streets was ranked in the top three most important services in making an area a good place to live.

Councillor Laura James said: “Our residents have told us how much they value clean, tidy and litter-free streets.

“We want our communities to be proud of their area and clean streets plays a big part in this.

“Two thirds of our residents have said they are satisfied with the current level of service we deliver, but we can do more.”