Council Commitment to Keeping Highland Communities Cleaner - £1million Extra

28th January 2008

The Highland Council is set to spend an additional £1 million in the new financial year in keeping Highland communities cleaner and tidier. The commitment to community works is a priority of the Council Administration and, subject to confirmation by the full Council on 14 February, communities will see:-

Increased levels of education and enforcement in littering and dog fouling by employing three enforcement officers (£90,000);

Increased standards of litter picking and street cleaning by employing an additional 17 street cleansing staff (£500,000);

Increased standards of grounds maintenance by employing the equivalent of 34 additional seasonal grounds maintenance operatives (£410,000).

The Transport Environmental and Community Services Commmittee was told today (Thursday) that it is proposed to engage 7 full-time street cleansing operatives in Inverness, Nairn and Badenoch and Strathspey and five each in Caithness Sutherland and Easter Ross and Ross Skye and Lochaber.

Spending on grounds maintenance will be allocated as follows: £150,000 for Inverness Nairn and Badenoch and Strathspey and £130,000 each in Caithness Sutherland and Easter Ross and Ross Skye and Lochaber.

Committee Chairman Councillor John Laing said on behalf of the Council's Administration: "The wellbeing of our communities is very important and this has been recognised in the Administration's commitment to give a high priority to community works. The public has consistently identified street cleanliness and grounds maintenance as important services in the Council's public performance survey.

"Additional funding will allow us to target enforcement campaigns in the Highlands to reduce litter, especially around fast food establishments, and other areas where regular litter occurs. Clean streets present a good image and discourages littering. Our aim will be to remove litter as soon as possible, so streets look clean. It is also important to improve the standard of grounds maintenance by increasing the frequency of grass cutting."