Everyone hates to see litter.  Ipswich Borough Council (IBC) is working hard on litter and I think the town centre is looking better for that hard work.

IBC’s street cleansing team were in the running for an award from the Association of Public Service Excellence, and although we didn’t win, it was national recognition for the fantastic job that the IBC clean team do.

I spent some time with the town centre team which operates seven days a week, 365 days a year, plus 24 hr call out.  Six team members start at 5.30am and put in a shift to clean the town for the day ahead.  A smaller shift replaces them in the early afternoon and keeps on top of litter during the day.

Certain areas of the town centre are pressure washed monthly. Targeted spots are sprayed with “Pongo” to freshen them up between cleans. A scrub deck on one of the small sweepers completes more regular pavement cleaning.  Disinfectant is liberally applied in places where people urinate, such as the alleyway next to the Conservative Club. A new push along washer will go into service next week to increase the frequency of pavement washes.

IBC has 515 litter bins across the Borough, 160 are within the town centre or areas of high footfall. The busiest areas, like the town centre, are emptied up to five times a day with the remaining bins emptied daily.

Last year, 318 tonnes of refuse and recycling was collected from street bins.

Are you ready for some stats?  These are measured against the 2022/23 Code of Practice on Litter & Refuse:

95.5% of Ipswich Roads & Pavements were Grade A for Litter.

94.3% of Ipswich Roads & Pavements Grade A for waste or debris of any kind

100% of Health and Safety litter reports on public land (Needles / Glass / Body Fluids etc.) collected within 2hrs of report.

99% of Fly tipping / Illegal Dumping on public land removed within 2 days of report.

100% of Offensive graffiti on public land (Racist / Sexist / Foul Language) removed within 24hrs.

I am often asked about gulls ripping open bin bags that are left outside shops, because unsightly rubbish is scattered everywhere by the birds. It is the responsibility of the waste producer to keep their waste secure until it is collected by a registered waste carrier. IBC are undertaking another proactive campaign on this.  Businesses who fail to secure their waste will be contacted to formally to remind them of their responsibilities and to warn them that further incidences will result in IBC taking formal action using the Environmental Protection Act.

IBC have an active bin map and have recently completed a review of the numbers of bins across the Borough. Part of the bin replacement plan for the Town Centre will be a review and relocation to follow current footfall. The bins in the Town have been in place for 20 years or more and don’t reflect current movement around the town. We have GPS data that shows us the patterns of movement. We hope to put a rolling bin replacement plan in place.

IBC has recognised that some of the town centre bins are old and need replacing, so 18 new bins have been ordered for Westgate and Tavern streets.  The aim is to have these installed by the time the Christmas Lights go up and late-night shopping starts.

One of IBC’s priorities is a Thriving Town Centre.  Having a clean town centre is a key part of this and I’d like to thank the IBC team for their great efforts helping to create an attractive town centre.