Street Cleansing

We are committed to ensuring that the city is clean and tidy for all residents and visitors to enjoy. Cleansing teams are out on the streets busily removing litter and rubbish seven days a week. Working in area based teams every street is visited at least once a month to ensure that high levels of cleanliness are maintained using specialist cleansing teams; mechanically sweeping and removing graffiti.

In the city centre a team of cleansing operative’s work throughout the day to keep on top of the litter. Some use pedestrian operated mechanical sweepers, others empty the litter bins and manually litter pick or sweep. These activities continue into the evening when shoppers give way to the night time economy.

Early in the morning the large mechanical sweepers start cleaning the main roads. The manual operatives are assisted by compact sweepers that can concentrate on the precinct and the large expanse of pavements. Teams empty the bins, remove graffiti or fly posting and wash away spillages and stains that may have appeared overnight.

In residential areas where roads are heavily parked residents are given advance notice and asked to move their vehicles. This allows large mechanical vehicles to clean the road channels. At the same time a compact mechanical sweeper can attend to the footways and manual teams can remove weed growth and graffiti from street furniture.

The City Council cannot achieve a clean city alone, your support is needed. It could be simply advising us of a problem, organising and taking part in a clean-up everyone has a role to play.

If you or your community group would like to volunteer to help clear litter from your local area please contact Actionline 0800 519 1919 with your details and an officer will contact you to discuss your offer and what we can do to assist. The council will be able to provide you with equipment and practical and health and safety guidance.

Everyone can play their part in helping keep the city clean by disposing of their litter with care and consideration. If the first litter bin you visit is full, check to see if there is still capacity in the next nearest. Try to minimise the packaging that come with any take away foods you might buy and see if you can dispose of these on the vendor’s premises rather than take them out into the street with you. If you can’t find a street bin in which to put your crisp bag or sweet wrapper, then take it back to your workplace or home and dispose of it there. Thank you for your help.

Do you want to help?

The parks and open spaces team are always delighted to support individuals or groups who would like to help and improve the local environment, by organising their own "clean up". The team can offer advice, loan equipment and remove the rubbish once collected; ensuring the event is a success.

How can businesses help?

Local businesses are an important part of the community and can show that they also want to support a clean environment by joining the "Tidy Business Award Scheme".