Sefton Council has invested an additional £1.5 million in keeping the borough’s streets clean, as teams continue to tackle litter, fly-tipping and other environmental issues.
The investment has supported enhanced street cleansing operations alongside a significant expansion of Sefton’s Environmental Enforcement team, which has tripled in size and includes additional officers working in the north of the borough.
In the past five months alone, more than 50 Fixed Penalty Notices (FPNs) have been issued for fly-tipping and duty of care offences.
The scale of the work has been highlighted through a day with Street Cleansing Operative Victoria “Vicky” Phillips and Cllr Peter Harvey, Sefton Council’s Cabinet Member for Cleansing and Street Scene.
Vicky is part of the team working across Sefton to keep streets and public spaces clean, carrying out everything from everyday litter collection to operating specialist cleaning equipment.
Among the equipment she uses is the Glutton, a powerful vacuum system designed to collect litter and debris from streets, pavements and harder-to-reach areas.
She also operates the council’s chewing gum removal machine, which is used to tackle stubborn gum staining on pavements.
The equipment was funded through a grant from Keep Britain Tidy, supported by major chewing gum manufacturers, allowing the council to improve the appearance of busy town centre streets at no additional cost to residents.
But Vicky says the role is about more than simply keeping streets tidy, with building relationships in the community an important part of her work.
Vicky said:
“The best part of my job is meeting people every day and seeing the difference we make.
“You get to know the same faces and build relationships with residents, businesses and visitors. It’s a very community-focused role and there’s a real sense of pride when you see an area looking cleaner and brighter because of the work you’ve done.”
Street Cleansing, Waste Management and Environmental Enforcement teams work together throughout the year to tackle littering and fly-tipping across the borough.
Environmental Enforcement officers also work alongside cleansing and waste teams to investigate fly-tipping incidents, gather evidence and take action against offenders.
Cllr Peter Harvey, Cabinet Member for Cleansing and Street Scene, said:
“Keeping Sefton clean is about much more than what people see on the surface. Behind the scenes there is a huge amount of work taking place every day by dedicated teams who care deeply about our communities.
“People like Vicky are at the heart of that work. Whether it’s removing litter, tackling chewing gum staining, responding to environmental issues or helping residents, they are making a visible difference every single day.
“Our investment in cleaner streets and strengthening our Environmental Enforcement team is helping us build on that work, tackle fly-tipping and create neighbourhoods that residents can be proud of.”
The work has also received national recognition, with the team named as finalists in the Best Service Team – Streetscene category at the APSE Awards.
Sefton Council has released a video featuring Vicky and Cllr Harvey discussing the work being carried out by the borough’s Street Cleansing teams.
