Council employs street cleaners to tidy up residential areas

Thanet District Council is committed to improving levels of cleanliness throughout the district. As part of this commitment, the council has employed eight additional street sweepers. 

The new cleansing staff will focus on removing litter and waste from residential streets. Resources will be targeted to areas that have higher levels of litter and detritus. Photographs are taken by the supervisor vehicles as they travel around the district, and are then examined to decide which areas need more cleaning.

The street sweepers will work in teams of four, seven days a week. Working hours will be from 10am to 6pm from July to October, and from 8am till 4pm from November to January. 

Each location will be cleansed once every five weeks, on a rota basis. The teams will visit Westgate and Birchington each Monday, once rubbish sacks have been collected, to clear any remaining waste. The new street cleaners will be operating at locations throughout the district. 

Cllr Steve Albon, Cabinet Member for Cleansing and Coastal Services, said: “We know how important clean streets are to our residents, so improving the cleanliness of our district is a key focus for the council. I’m so pleased that we have been able to employ additional street sweepers, adding extra resources to the team has been a priority for me.

“I’m sure that people who live in the targeted areas will notice the difference very soon. We need residents to work with us too – please make sure that you dispose of your waste and recycling responsibly, and report any fly-tips in your area.”

Street sweepers will report any new fly-tips to the council, and officers will aim to remove the waste as quickly as possible to prevent further items being dumped at the same spot. 

Residents should report fly-tipping via the council’s online form. Existing reports of fly-tipping are shown on an online map. The map shows the status of fly-tips that are being investigated.