Competing for the title of Cleanest Borough in Britain, Lewisham faces Ipswich in the final of the first ever ‘Clean Britain Awards’ on Tuesday, 13 March.
The competition, run by the British Cleaning Council, examines how local authorities deal with problems such as litter, fly-posting, graffiti, chewing gum and dog fouling.
Lewisham’s innovative management and cleaning systems, as well as close working with residents, have led to its place in the final. Initiatives and successes include:
- Providing improved services at lower cost.
- Enabling residents to use their mobile phones to report problems like fly-tipping by sending photos to the council’s website.
- Introducing Neighbourhood Environment Action Teams which allow people to get involved in hands-on projects like river clean-ups and graffiti busting.
- Participating in campaigns such as the Defra Chewing Gum campaign. For example, Lewisham raised awareness through the use of bus advertising, street theatre, distributing 19,000 ‘wrap-its’, targeted street cleaning and monitoring. The campaign resulted in a 38% reduction in the amount of chewing gum being dropped.
Councillor Susan Wise, Cabinet Member for Customer Services, said: “This is a fantastic achievement and fully recognises the partnership that has been developed between residents and council staff to keep Lewisham clean and green. It pays tribute to the commitment of residents and the hard work of staff. It’s also a real endorsement of Lewisham Council’s strategies to tackle problems like littering, graffiti and fly-tipping.”
Judith West, Chairman of the British Cleaning Council, said: “We would like to wish Lewisham all the very best of luck before the finale next Tuesday. Reaching the finals of the UK’s most prestigious clean streets competition is no mean feat. Judges have scoured the streets of cities, towns and districts to find the UK’s cleanest and tidiest – all eyes will be on the Birmingham NEC on Tuesday to hear the results.”
The winning borough will be announced at the Cleaning Show in Birmingham’s NEC on 13 March 2007.