Liverpool Council says a dedicated team will focus on busy areas including Lime Street, Williamson Square and Church Street. The plans follow concerns about cleanliness across the city centre.
Liverpool City Council has announced a significant revamp of its street cleaning operations to address ongoing problems affecting the city center. Officials have identified several issues that are detracting from the area's appeal, including accumulations of litter, graffiti, chewing gum, and bird droppings. Council leader Liam Robinson acknowledged that some key areas have not received a thorough street wash for more than a decade, blaming the lapse on funding constraints faced by the council over the last 15 years.
To counter these issues, the council is introducing a new street washing team dedicated to focusing on high-traffic areas, such as Lime Street station, Williamson Square, and Church Street. This initiative is part of a broader effort to improve cleanliness and maintain the city's overall aesthetic. Robinson emphasized that while keeping the city center tidy is a constant battle, the council is committed to enhancing the environment for residents and visitors alike.
The council has already begun to bolster its resources, recruiting more than 100 new staff members since April and increasing the number of workers assigned to late-shift patterns. According to the council, these operational changes have led to a 50 percent increase in productivity. Furthermore, working hours have been extended to provide additional support during the evenings and throughout the night.
The new strategy goes beyond just personnel increases. A dedicated team will be assigned to specific sites to ensure consistency, while a separate reactive unit will handle urgent matters, such as inquiries about offensive graffiti. This reactive team will also have the capacity to address issues outside of the immediate city center, including cleaning bird droppings from bridges across Liverpool. These measures are designed to provide more targeted cleaning and a faster response to problem areas throughout the city.
