Regular readers will be aware that I have written about the declining standards of cleanliness in Bishopsgate, particularly around Liverpool Street Station before (here and here).
Data from the City Corporation, an audit by Keep Britain Tidy and feedback from local businesses have all indicated a decline in cleanliness. This is in part due to post-pandemic behaviour change, a return of the night-time economy and – particularly during the summer months – an increase in litter from takeaway food outlets in our gardens and green spaces.
I have been working with the Port Health and Environment Committee to increase budgets for street cleaning, collaborating with the Business Improvement District (BID) to trial an enhanced street cleaning service and with Environment Health team to hold businesses to account for keeping areas around their properties clean and tidy.
Since February 2024, the BID have been funding an additional team of street cleaners from Monday-Friday (a 40% uplift on the usual provision) a night-time jet washing regime. This enhanced service is being delivered through the City of London Corporation’s existing cleansing supplier, Veolia, but using co-branded EC BID equipment and uniforms.
The service is focused on our hot-spot areas in the eastern cluster of the City, including Gracechurch Street, Bishopsgate, Fenchurch Street Station forecourt, Eastcheap and St Mary Axe.
In addition, the City of London Corporation has invested a further £1m across the Square Mile in its cleaning provision, mainly at nights and weekends.
Kate Hart, CEO of the EC BID said:
“This trial fulfils our commitment to enhance key areas of the public realm, creating a more attractive, accessible and welcoming environment. The return of employees back to the workplace, increasing visitor footfall and a thriving nighttime economy are all hugely welcome but they do create challenges which need to be managed. The Eastern City is one of the most iconic and important financial centres in the world so it’s important we provide our businesses community with a working environment to match. The predominantly daytime service is focused on our hot-spot areas of Gracechurch Street, Bishopsgate, Fenchurch Street Station forecourt, Eastcheap and St Mary Axe, and pending a successful review in October is one we hope to make permanent. This collaboration with the Corporation demonstrates the power of private/public partnership and is just one of many ways we are working together for the benefit of our community.”
Councillor Mary Duncan JP, Chair of the Port Health & Environmental Services Committee, said:
“The City of London Corporation is proud to invest an additional one million pounds into its street cleansing operations, and we’re delighted to be working with EC BID to help make the Square Mile and even cleaner and more vibrant place in which to live, work and explore. The City of London is home to some 615,000 workers, 8,600 residents, and welcomes millions of tourists every year. Our standards are incredibly high, with weekend visitor numbers increasing, and weekday footfall continuing to grow. Recent data shows that, since April last year, levels of litter in the Square Mile have halved, and are already more than 70% lower than the wider London benchmark.”
