More new street cleansing equipment purchased by the Council has hit the streets in the war against litter, graffiti, and grime – as well as keeping local hanging baskets watered.
The investment in the new machines totals £160,000. These include:
- A new multi-purpose graffiti removal machine serving the whole area that can also blast away chewing gum, pavement waste stains, bird droppings, and wash down litter bins and seats;
- A new 7.5 tonne urban sweeper serving the outer Bath area which represents the latest in cleansing technology sweeping both sides of the road instead of the previous model which swept just the left;
- An environmentally-friendly electric vehicle that will water hanging baskets and during the winter months will be used for emptying litter bins and picking-up trade and domestic refuse if left out on the highway.
Councillor David Dixon (Lib-Dem, Oldfield), Cabinet Member for Neighbourhoods, said, “The rolling programme of investment in the latest street cleansing technology is helping Bath & North East Somerset Council tackle grime hot spots across the area. It helps us clean the streets more efficiently. However, the first line of defence against litter is people themselves. If everyone disposed of their litter responsibly in bins the streets would be much cleaner in the first place.“
Roland Russell, Outer Bath Neighbourhood Team Manager, said, “The new urban sweeper is an excellent new machine that cleans the streets and will support our manual sweepers where we have them. A number of drivers will be trained to use the new vehicle so that it will be in constant use.”
Gary Skuse, Graffiti Machine Operator, added, “The tank holds four hundred litres of water which can be heated up to one hundred and twenty degrees to get the most stubborn of stains off of walls and pavements. It is a really effective weapon against graffiti and most forms of detritus.”
The new vehicles are part of the Council’s investment in new cleansing vehicles and equipment which totals £500,000 over the past two years. Two new street cleaning vehicles were recently purchased for Keynsham, Saltford, and the Somer Valley.
People can play their part in keeping the streets clean and tidy by not only disposing of litter responsibly, but also contacting the Council when they see a litter hotspot or graffiti via Council Connect.
