Redbridge Council has announced significant investment in its street cleansing services, aiming to improve the cleanliness and responsiveness of its operations across the borough. The commitment was made during a Clean and Green Committee meeting on Wednesday, September 9, 2026.
Pam Roe-Jones, Interim Director for Neighbourhoods and Environment, presented an overview of the current street cleansing services, detailing the structure which includes area supervisors, graffiti and jet wash teams, and dedicated litter picking and mechanical sweeping crews. The use of technology, such as the Whitespace system, was highlighted as a key tool for recording completed jobs, auditing work, and identifying fly-tipping hotspots. The system allows supervisors to take photographs to audit work and helps supervisors communicate with operatives. It records fly-tipping incidents, which aids in identifying hotspots for more proactive work.
Councillor Joe Blackman, Cabinet Member for Environment and Neighbourhoods, stated that significant investment had been made in street cleansing in recent years, leading to improvements in responsiveness and cleanliness.
He acknowledged that while the service is not perfect, it is a priority for the council.
Councillor Blackman highlighted challenges such as high turnover of residents and quite dense housing in some areas,
where understanding bulky waste collection arrangements can be difficult, potentially leading to fly-tipping. He added, I think our service does a really good job of keeping things clean despite that.
During the meeting, councillors discussed various aspects of the service, including the frequency of jet washing across different areas and the process for dealing with graffiti. The jet wash primarily focuses on town centres and high streets, targeting areas where the need is felt to be most severe. Jet washing is carried out in response to both officer observations and reports received. However, specific frequencies for different areas were not detailed, and a councillor's query about the time spent in specific areas like Ilford Town Centre versus Wanstead, Wanstead Village, South Woodford, Churchfields, Moncombs, and Bridge was deferred for further investigation.
It was confirmed that offensive graffiti is targeted for removal within 24 hours, with a different deadline for non-offensive graffiti.
The committee also reviewed its work plan for the upcoming year, with a focus on Street Cleanliness and Green Spaces. The plan's principal areas include 'Street Cleanliness (including fly-tipping, local environmental quality, community engagement, technology, and enforcement)' and 'Green Spaces (encompassing parks, biodiversity, green infrastructure, community participation, pocket parks, and tree planting)'. A presentation on green spaces, biodiversity, and environmental improvement is scheduled for the next meeting.
The next Clean and Green Committee meeting is scheduled for November 4, 2026.
