LONDON has the dirtiest streets in Britain, according to a new survey, but also the country’s cleanest, with Merton and Kensington and Chelsea marking the two ends of the muck league table.
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49% of Merton’s streets in the survey fell below government standards for what they call “detritus” – things like rotting grass cuttings and other garden waste – and 21 per cent failed the litter test.
By way of comparison, none of the streets looked at in Kensington and Chelsea were bedevilled by detritus and only 2% had a litter issue.
Merton isn’t the only borough to come out badly from the research conducted by the GMB union. Hounslow was the nation’s second dirtiest area and Bromley not far behind at sixth from bottom.
At the other end of the scale, the City of London ran Kensington and Chelsea close, with 1% on the detritus scale and 2% on the litter log.
Perhaps surprisingly, especially given neighbouring Bromley’s performance, Croydon was third cleanest borough in London.
The GMB says that there is a strong link between the money councils spend on street cleaning and how clean the streets are.
“Councillors should be clear that for street cleaning, as for other public services, you get what you pay for,” said Paul Hayes, GMB Regional Secretary for London.
Dirtiest Boroughs in London
1. Merton (49% streets failed detritus standards, 21% below acceptable litter levels)
2. Hounslow (44, 15)
3. Bromley (36, 24)
4. Waltham Forest (33, 23)
5. Redbridge (32, 17)
Cleanest Boroughs in London
1. Kensington & Chelsea (0, 2)
2. City of London (1, 2)
3. Croydon (4, 11)
4. Westminster (5, 3)
5. Barnet (8, 6)
