The Council is responsible for all street cleansing operations within the Borough. This is a large scale operation covering an area of 245 square miles of urban and rural roads and verges. Our belief is that all people in the Borough are entitled to live and work in a safe and clean environment. We are working hard to achieve this.
We schedule the litter picking of verges and open spaces, aiming to clean littered areas at least once a week. The standards of cleanliness which must be maintained are contained within the Environmental Protection Act 1990 and Code of Practice for litter and refuse.
It’s a Team Effort!
Basingstoke & Deane Borough Council is committed to ensuring that we have a clean and tidy town for all residents and visitors to enjoy.
Our teams of road sweepers and litter pickers remove litter and rubbish from 6am, seven days a week throughout The Borough, to ensure that high levels of cleanliness are maintained. These are assisted by specialist cleansing teams, mechanical sweepers, graffiti removal teams and response units.
Frequently asked questions
Q. What is fly tipping and how does the council deal with it?
A. Fly tipping is the illegal dumping of rubbish. It angers the public, spoils the countryside and is costly to clear up. Details and locations of fly tips are often reported to us by members of the public. We aim to deal with such reports in a quick and efficient manner, usually within one working day. In some instances, however, we may wish to carry out enforcement and this may result in a short delay.
Q. Do you empty road gulleys?
A. No this operation is carried out by Hampshire County Council who may be contacted on 0845 603 5638.
Q. How often should my footpath/street be swept?
A. Kerbed streets are swept between 6 to 8 times per year using large tanker road sweepers. Hard surfaced footpaths and precincts are swept between 4 and 6 times per year using smaller precinct sweepers.
Q. Who do I contact if there is rubbish in my street?
A. Please phone the Contact Centre on (01256) 844844 or email details to customer.service@basingstoke.gov.uk to report rubbish in your street.
Q. When are leaves normally picked up?
A. During the autumn months, October to December, we visit areas of heavy leaf fall on a regular basis. Leaves on grass areas are normally mulched in order to return nutrient to the ground and to allow environmentally friendly disposal.
Q. How do I get graffiti removed?
A. Please phone the Contact Centre on (01256) 844844.
We aim to remove graffiti from property the council has responsibility for within three working days. Owners of Private Property and Business Premises need to sign a Graffiti Services Disclaimer giving us permission to remove graffiti from their property. Obscene graffiti will be removed within 24hours regardless of whether or not we have a signed form. For private premises the service will be provided free on three occasions after which we will charge.
Q. Why have filled bin bags been left by the roadside?
A. Our Estate Cleaners have collected litter in these and have left them for collection later in the day by our Mobile Cleansing Collection Teams. Please phone the Contact Centre on (01256) 844844 if these bags remain in situ for more than 24 hours.
Q. What happens to abandoned shopping trolleys?
A. These are collected and stored at our depot for retrieval by the appropriate stores. The Council charges a recovery fee for this.
Q. How often are public litter bins emptied?
A. All bins are emptied at least once a week but we empty the most used bins more frequently, eg, town centre bins are emptied periodically throughout each day.
Q. How do I report problems relating to hazardous litter eg syringes, glass etc?
A. Please phone the Contact Centre on (01256) 844844, or email details to customer.service@basingstoke.gov.uk. We make every effort to respond very quickly to such problems.
Q. What should I do if I spot asbestos or other hazardous materials on public open space?
A. Please DO NOT attempt to move it yourself. Phone the Contact Centre on (01256) 844844 or email customer.service@basingstoke.gov.uk to request urgent removal. We will send trained staff to deal with the problem.
Q. How do I report dog fouling problems?
A. The Council provides a dog warden service to deal with dog related matters. This includes enforcement of dog fouling laws. Dogs mess is now regarded as litter under the Environmental Protection Act so dog mess can be placed in any waste bin. Please see link to report dog fouling. Alternatively phone the Contract Centre on (01256) 844844.
Q. How can I report a dead animal and will you remove it?
A. Large wild animals such as deer, fox and badger will be removed from the highway and public open spaces within one working day of receiving a report. We do not remove rabbits, pigeons, pheasants etc Dead domestic pets will be collected, scanned for evidence of micro chipping and retained for 24 hours to allow owners to collect them, should they so wish. Phone the Contact Centre on (01256) 844844 or email customer.service@basingstoke.gov.uk.
Q. I have some bulky household items, will the Council collect these?
A. Yes, there is a charge for removal of items. To arrange collection phone the Contact Centre on (01256) 844844 or email customer.service@basingstoke.gov.uk.
Q. What can the public do to help?
A. Take your litter home or place in litter bins.
Wrap up your discarded chewing gum and ‘bin it’.
Don’t leave your dog’s mess for others – or you could be fined.
Don’t ‘fly-post’ or spray graffiti messages – it’s untidy and in most cases illegal.
Don’t flytip discarded items – use the recycling centre
Don’t park where you want us to clean.
Dispose of cigarette butts in ashtrays – don’t litter, you may be fined.
Make sure all rubbish is contained securely in your wheelie bin prior to collection day.
Report cleansing concerns to us on 01256 844844 or email details to customer.service@basingstoke.gov.uk.
