New cleaning programme could improve ‘look and feel’ of borough

More street cleaning, weeding and vegetation clearing could all take place across Caerphilly this year, under renewed efforts to spruce up the county borough.

A new “cleaning and greening programme” worth £1.3 million will target hotspots and improve the “look and feel” of the borough’s public places.

If approved later this week, the project will include the reintroduction of two cleaning teams, which councillors can request to visit their wards for up to two weeks this year to “enhance the perception of the area” and tackle fly-tipping.

A Community Response Team will also be brought back, to carry out “low cost but visually high impact” improvements to public spaces, including repairing and painting benches, cutting back overgrowth, fixing fences and railings, cleaning road signs and clearing pavements.

Eight “key gateways” to the county borough will also be tidied up to “portray a clean and welcoming environment for our residents and visitors”.

These are in Blackwood, Hafodyrynys, Llanhilleth, Machen, Nelson, Penrhos, Rhymney and Risca.

At a council scrutiny committee meeting, on Monday May 19, members heard there had been a “deterioration” in the “look and feel” of the borough.

“Because of the medium-term financial pressures, we’ve had to cut back on what we are doing – with this option we’ve now got the capacity to be more proactive,” explained Marcus Lloyd, the council’s director of infrastructure.

The funding will come from a new UK Government policy which makes producers of packaging more responsible for its recycling.

According to a Caerphilly Council report, local authorities will receive payments to cover the collection and disposal of that packaging waste.

Members of the committee voted unanimously to back the new programme of improvements to public places – an issue Cllr Dawn-Ingram Jones said was “one of the main complaints” she received from residents.

Cabinet members are scheduled to meet on Wednesday May 21 to approve the programme.