Yet residents pay one of the highest charges for street cleaning

Ealing Conservatives this week highlighted official statistics compiled by the Audit Commission that reveal Ealing has the dirtiest, most heavily littered streets and other open spaces of all London’s 33 boroughs.

The Audit Commission’s latest Performance Indicators (2004) reveal that 49% of Ealing’s streets and open spaces are significantly or heavily littered.

The Audit Commission also reveals that at £27.41 per resident, Ealing Council tax payers pay the ninth highest costs in London for its bottom of the league cleaning service. (See table at end of article).

Conservative Environment Spokesman, Cllr Nigel Sumner said that while he had been complaining about Ealing’s poor street and park cleaning service for years, he was shocked to see that we are now officially the worst in London. He said, “Twelve years of Labour have left the borough with an appalling legacy on environmental issues in general, but nowhere is it more obvious than in our dirty open spaces. You just have to look around the borough to see how slipshod we have become - residents across Ealing tell us how dissatisfied they are with the street cleaning service.

“We need a Council prepared to focus on the environment in Ealing. That means a more responsive service and one that is co-ordinated with the waste collection service. We spend more than average on street cleaning on Ealing but get bottom of the league results.”

Cllr John Delaney, Cabinet Member for Streets and Environment, responded by saying, "Clearing our streets of crime and grime is now the utmost priority for the new leadership and the corporate board which took over the running of the council last year. This is why the latest data from the Audit Commission shows the cleanliness of our streets has improved since then, and we are all committed to making sure Ealing becomes one of the cleanest boroughs in London.

"We accept we have a lot of hard work still to do. Our recent Environment Action Days, where we showed people their responsibilities in helping us to keep the streets free of grime, are examples of the many initiatives we have already put in place."

League Table of Cleanest Councils in London

Figures from the Audit Commission

February 10, 2006