Action on Basic Services

• improved street cleaning; the number of streets now rated satisfactory or better has increased from 59% to 92%. This was achieved through a radical overhaul of working practices, the introduction of specialist equipment and the employment of more street sweeping staff
• better litter collection; over 400 new litter bins, more frequent emptying and new Summer Bins at litter 'hot spots'
• improved weed clearance; by doing it more often and with chemicals that are less harmful to the environment
• introduced the Graffiti Dispatch Team in a wide ranging anti-graffiti strategy, offering free removal from private property and anti-graffiti protective coatings
• taken action on abandoned vehicles with the innovative and popular free disposal service which has been praised by the government
• introduced City Rangers across the city to forge links with communities, agree local priorities and get jobs done
• formed new area-based Tidy Teams for locally-focused street and parks services
• set up a one-stop Helpdesk for you to get in touch
• achieved more efficient refuse collection and tackled the problem of refuse bins blocking pavements
• after decades of neglect, launched a £1 million programme of public toilet replacements and renovations including Gonville Place, Park Street and Mill Road, and put in a 'hit squad' to steam clean public toilets regularly
• achieved better cleaning of parks and Parkside Pool through a service overhaul
• upgraded the electricity in the market to help traders and customers
• worked with staff to create a new culture in the Council emphasising key basic services and valuing those who carry them out day in and day out
• gained national recognition for customer care in frontline services. Chartermarks have been awarded for Reception and Revenues, and City Homes services.
• made strides towards timely payment of creditors and benefit claimants; processing benefit claims now takes 28 days against the national average of 47 days
• made it possible to pay Council Tax by credit card

In the coming year we will build on the visible differences we have achieved so far. Our budget for 2003-4 will provide:

• additional litter bins, and extra staff to empty and clean them
• more mechanical street sweepers for pavements and streets
• an innovative schools environment programme
• further progress towards public toilets which the public can feel confident and safe to use, including replacement buildings on Parker's Piece and Midsummer Common, and extra cleaning overall
• extra money for the emptying of dog muck bins
• more money for the speedy removal of abandoned vehicles
• further publicity about the City Rangers as a visible point of contact for residents
• more money to fund publicity campaigns about litter
• more money to train street cleansing staff in customer care
• launch of the Neighbourhood Links scheme creating a direct role for members of the public in street cleaning and waste management