Latest Street care and cleaning FAQs from Warwick District Council.

How much of our Council Tax is used to pay for street cleansing and litter bin emptying?

Wed, 19 May 2021 09:48:36 +0100

Question: How much of our Council Tax is used to pay for street cleansing and litter bin emptying?

Answer:

We have a contract with Idverde Ltd. to provide our street cleansing services. The contract costs approximately £2million per year and includes the following services:

street sweeping and litter picking
emptying and cleaning of litter bins
sweeping of Council owned car parks
weed spraying and other methods of weed control
removal of fly-tipping
removal of graffiti and fly posting
pressure washing of footpaths
clearance of leaf fall in Autumn
gritting and snow clearance
inspection and repair of children’s play area equipment
removal of epicormic growth from trees
other general street cleansing duties

For an average band D property in Warwick District, approximately £35 per year of their Council tax goes towards the cost of these services – that’s just 69p per week.

Can litter bins be emptied more frequently at peak times, for example, in summer?

Wed, 19 May 2021 09:46:14 +0100

Question: Can litter bins be emptied more frequently at peak times, for example, in summer?

Answer:

We provide additional resource over the busy summer period, particularly in parks and open spaces, to help keep the district clean and tidy. During this period, there are additional teams working to empty litter bins more frequently and keep areas free of litter, among other duties.

We are looking at ways to maximise these resources to help manage the current issues of litter.

Can you provide more litter bins or increase emptying of litter bins?

Wed, 19 May 2021 09:44:09 +0100

Question: Can you provide more litter bins or increase emptying of litter bins?

Answer:

There is a network of over 1200 litter bins across Warwick District, located on the street and in parks and open spaces. The bins are emptied on varying frequencies depending on their location and usage. Until recently, this provision was sufficient to keep the district clean and tidy. However, there has been a noticeable increase in litter since lockdown restrictions were eased on 12th April 2021. The recent takeaway only restriction on food and drink outlets was creating more litter on the street. In addition, the restriction on outdoor gatherings only also meant that our parks and open spaces were a lot busier than usual. Litter bins have been filing up fast and the Council is trying it’s best to keep on top of it.

Unfortunately, it’s not as simple as increasing litter bin numbers or emptying frequencies. A new litter bin costs approx. £450 to purchase and install. Then there is the ongoing cost of emptying that bin. The total cost of emptying litter bins in Warwick District is currently around £430,000 per year! On top of this, there are additional costs for picking up litter and dealing with fly-tipping.

The Council doesn’t have the money to keep increasing litter bin numbers or emptying frequencies. Instead, we’re looking at new and different ways of managing the current issues of litter within the resources available. Among other things, we’re investigating whether bins in quieter locations can be emptied less frequently, allowing bins in busier areas to be emptied more regularly. We’re also asking people to take responsibility for their rubbish and take it home with them if litter bins are full or find another litter bin to use.