Dirt, tags and stickers washed away as city sleeps

We’ve begun our five day city centre tidy up by jet washing pavements and street furniture, and removing unsightly graffiti and stickers from council property.

Our night shift team begins at 9pm and works until 5am when the day shift takes over and keeps going until the streets get busy.

A blitz on pavement dirt

They are concentrating on three of the dirtiest streets in the city centre – Queens Road, North Street and West Street - and have already blitzed the pavements of dirt.

The teams are hosing down bins and removing ugly graffiti tags from benches. They’re also removing stickers from lamp posts and restoring them to their original black.

The clean-up is part of the council’s new Keep Brighton & Hove Tidy campaign that also ties in with this year’s national Keep Britain Tidy event which runs from 11 – 27 of the month.

Council leader Phélim Mac Cafferty said: “The Cityclean staff are carrying out tremendous work during the day and all through the night to help clean up the city.

“The cleaning work really is making a visible difference to these streets and will hopefully restore some civic pride that has been sadly lost over the last few years.” 

As part of our campaign we’re asking communities across our city to consider joining the clean-up effort – including residents, businesses, volunteers, council staff, councillors, tidy up teams, beach cleaners and students.

'We're asking businesses for support'

Cllr Mac Cafferty added: “We’re hoping everyone gets involved and plays their part to Keep Brighton & Hove Tidy.

“I’ve written to many of the city’s businesses asking for support, and I’ve already had some very positive responses.

“We’re also receiving support from community groups and individuals who understand the financial challenges the council faces in these difficult times, and who just want to help in any way they can.

'A huge thank you to everyone involved'

“I want to send a huge thank you to all of them from myself and everyone at the council.”

Any clean ups can be done within the new government limit of six people meeting outdoors.

• Volunteers: Anyone can volunteer to help with our clean up. We’ll provide the equipment including litter pickers and gloves for rubbish, and paint and brushes for graffiti removal. Please use your own face masks. Email communitycleanup@brighton-hove.gov.uk.
• Businesses: Council leader Phélim Mac Cafferty has written to businesses setting out the council’s plans and asking for support where practicable. There are a number of ways businesses can help, ie, by cleaning outside their premises, removing graffiti from their building and allowing staff to get involved – and the council is able to provide assistance.
• Council staff: Are also encouraged to be part of the tidy up and can join in beach cleans or assist in painting out graffiti on council bins or property. This can be done through the council’s Employee Volunteering Scheme and services won’t be affected.
• Tidy up teams: We already have fantastic tidy-up teams who will continue doing the great work they do by cleaning and tidying our parks and open spaces.
• Beach cleaners: Continuing the great work they do, from organisations like Surfers Against Sewage to groups and individuals. 
• Students: Organise park or beach cleans; remove graffiti, tidy up the streets outside where you live.
• Schools: Organise beach and park cleans as part of the curriculum.