Street cleansing
We are committed to ensuring we have a safe and clean environment for all residents and visitors to this borough.
A duty is placed on us under the Environmental protection Act 1990 to keep public open space including highway roads and footpaths free of litter and rubbish. This is a large scale operation covering an area of 245 square miles.
We have robust cleansing schedules to ensure:
- litter picking of verges and open spaces is undertaken at least once a week
- litter bins are emptied at least once a week with priority locations or hot spots completed daily.
Our teams are out picking litter and removing rubbish from 6am, seven days a week. They are assisted by specialist cleansing teams who use mechanical sweepers for highway roads and footways, a graffiti removal team and mobile response teams.
Frequently asked questions
- What is fly-tipping and how does the council deal with it?
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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 three working days. In some instances, however, we may wish to carry out enforcement and this may result in a short delay.
- Do you empty road gulleys?
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No this operation is carried out by Hampshire County Council who may be contacted on 0845 603 5638.
- How often should my footpath/street be swept?
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Kerbed streets are swept between four and six times per year using large tanker road sweepers. Hard surfaced footpaths and precincts are swept between two and four times per year using smaller precinct sweepers.
- Who do I contact if there is litter in my street?
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Please use our online report litter form.
- When are leaves normally picked up?
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During October to December, we clear areas of heavy leaf fall on a regular basis. Leaves on grass areas are normally mulched in order to return nutrients to the ground and to allow environmentally friendly disposal.
- How do I get graffiti removed?
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Please report it using our online report graffiti form. We aim to remove graffiti from property we are responsible 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. For private premises the service will be provided free on three occasions after which we will charge.
- Why have filled bin bags been left by the roadside?
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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 01256 844844 if these bags are there for more than 24 hours.
- What happens to abandoned shopping trolleys?
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Please report abandoned shopping trolleys direct to the retailer. You should clearly identify the issue, specify the location and provide any other relevant information. Contact details can be found on the 'Contact Us' section of the retailers website.
Alternatively,you can report an abandoned trolley to Trolleywise which is a professional trolley retrieval service that operates on behalf of most big supermarkets and shops. They can be contacted via phone: 0800 3161241 or email: trolleywise@wanzl.co.uk or by downloading the Trolleywise App. Further details can be found on the Trolleywise website.
- How often are public litter bins emptied?
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All bins are emptied at least once a week but frequently used bins are emptied more often, for example town centre bins are emptied throughout the day.
- How do I report problems relating to hazardous litter, such as syringes or glass?
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Please phone 01256 844844, or email details to customer.service@basingstoke.gov.uk. We make every effort to respond very quickly to these problems.
- What should I do if I spot asbestos or other hazardous materials on public open space?
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Please DO NOT attempt to move it yourself. Phone 01256 844844 or email customer.service@basingstoke.gov.uk to request urgent removal. We will send trained staff to deal with the problem.
- How do I report dog fouling problems?
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Please use our online report dog fouling form. We have a dog warden service to deal with dog related matters. This includes enforcement of dog fouling laws. Dog mess is now regarded as litter under the Environmental Protection Act so dog mess can be placed in any waste bin.
- How can I report a dead animal and will you remove it?
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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. Smaller animals, such as rabbits, pigeons or pheasants, will not be removed. Dead domestic pets will be collected, scanned for evidence of micro chipping and kept for 24 hours to allow owners to collect them.
- How can I report fly-posting?
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Please complete our online report fly-posting form.
What you can do to help?
You can help us keep your borough tidy by:
- Taking your litter home or placing it in a litter bin.
- Wrapping up discarded chewing gum and put it in a bin.
- Pick up dog mess and place the waste in any public litter bin or face a fine!
- Report fly-tipping, fly posting and graffiti as this is illegal.
- Keep your waste on your property, not on public land. Dispose of the waste at the amenity site at Wade Road or arrange for a legitimate contractor who is licensed to take your waste.
- Disposing of cigarette butts in ashtrays - don't litter or you could face prosecution!
- Making sure all rubbish is contained securely in their wheelie bin prior to collection day.
Report cleansing concerns on 01256 844844 or email details to customer.service@basingstoke.gov.uk