Dundee City Council’s Policy and Resources Committee has agreed to review the effectiveness of changes made to the street cleaning operation across the city, following implementation of a report in December 2015 that has resulted in alteration to the service and removal of street cleaning posts.
I made the request to the Policy and Resources Committee as it is important that the council reviews the situation to ensure that there is no reduction in the effectiveness of the street cleaning service.
My motion – accepted unanimously by councillors – states :
“Street Cleaning and Open Space Management
Motion by Bailie Fraser Macpherson
Given that it is approaching two years since adoption of Report 439-2015 on the Street Cleaning and Open Space Review, adopted at committee on 7th December 2015, this committee instructs Neighbourhood Services to review the effectiveness of the street cleaning revised operation to ensure that the changes undertaken since 2015 have not significantly impacted on the quality of street cleaning in any part of the city.
A report on the outcomes of such a review should be brought back to committee, together with any necessary recommendations, to ensure Dundee City Council maintains good quality street cleaning standards across the city over the coming years.”
Earlier this year, Accounts Commission reported that the streets of Dundee are becoming dirtier – the report showing that Dundee’s street cleanliness score fell by 1.6% over the past six years and the council’s spending on street cleaning, per 1 000 residents, had been reduced by 39.8% over the same period.
The staff doing street cleaning do an excellent job. However, recent changes have already resulted in some 26 fewer posts in street cleaning and this is bound to affect the service. It is really important therefore that the street cleaning operation is fully reviewed and I am pleased the council has agreed to this.
A photo of an example of residents’ complaints about street cleaning (taken in Annfield Road) is shown above right – I highlighted this example at the Policy and Resources Committee.