HACKNEY’S STREETS THE CLEANEST YET

ELN: Hackney’s streets are the cleanest they have ever been, says national anti litter charity Keep Britain Tidy. For the past eight years Keep Britain Tidy has monitored litter, debris, graffiti and fly posting around the borough, and issued Hackney Council with the results in a survey taken three times a year.

The surveys show that Hackney has improved significantly each year, tackling litter and detritus initially and then getting to grips with graffiti and fly-posting quickly and efficiently.

In 2009/10 Hackney achieved the target set by the Government and the 2010/11 results are the best yet. Welcoming the news, Cllr Feryal Demirci, Cabinet Member for Neighbourhoods, said: “Officers work hard to ensure that areas are cleared as soon as they are located or are reported by members of the public, so I am pleased to see that these efforts are being reflected in the Keep Britain Tidy survey. We have also spent time communicating with residents on the need for us all to be responsible for our own waste. “Flytipping creates an illegal health hazard, which can be dangerous. By using litter bins or household waste and recycling centres, we not only prevent this risk, but can also cut back on the huge clean up cost that our taxpayers have to pay due to improper waste disposal.”

Helen Bingham from Keep Britain Tidy said: ‘We know that the public cares passionately about the quality of their local environment and value the street cleansing service that local authorities provide. “We are delighted that Hackney Council has seen consistent improvements in street cleansing and the fact that it can point to this success illustrates the importance and usefulness of monitoring of local environmental quality.”