Opinion is divided on whether Chiswick is getting cleaner as local Conservative councillors describe it as "getting dirtier" while Hounslow Council says it is winning its battle to keep the borough cleaner.

At last week's Borough Council meeting, a Conservative motion to put an extra £1 million into street cleaning across the borough received all-party agreement.

A street scene in Chiswick last week

Chiswick cllr Peter Thompson said “The report going to the Cabinet next week shows that levels of litter in the Borough remain well below target and the amount of detritus such as dead leaves and flyposting are getting worse.  But we don’t need Council Reports to tell us what we all know – that Chiswick is getting dirtier.”

“Residents who speak to me are increasingly concerned about basic service standards such as having clean and maintained streets. They want the Council to do more to tackle litter, rubbish and graffiti in their local parks, streets and estates and therefore I am delighted that Labour accepted our motion to create a new fund to sort out this problem.”

Hounslow has had a bad record in the past. A survey of London Authorities Environmental Services Performance 2010-11 and 2011-12 ranked Hounslow as the worst borough in London for litter and detritus.

 However Hounslow Council says it is beginning to win its battle to make the borough cleaner, and quotes new figures from a Keep Britain Tidy report.  

The survey says levels of litter and detritus have fallen by two and 8.6 percentage points respectively since the last survey in September 2013.

Cllr Colin Ellar, deputy leader and cabinet member for environment, said: “This is good news and, although we still have some way to go, it shows that we are making Hounslow a cleaner borough.” 

Hounslow Highways Service Director Rob Gillespie said: “Our increased cleansing regime is beginning to have an effect on the borough’s streets. The cleanliness has improved and we will continue to work to make Hounslow a cleaner, greener borough.”  

As part of its battle on 'grime crime' Council spends around £3 m a year on keeping streets clean and recently launched a ' blitz' on litter-with fines of £80 issued - three of them in Chiswick.

LBH also introduced CCTV cameras in fly-tipping' hot zones' in the New Year, and deployed 15 additional street cleansing teams as well as doubling up barrow-walks. Five new routes for cleansing operatives and an anti-litter Love Your Streets – Hate Litter –campaign was lauched on Valentine’s Day. 

The report below shows the KBT report issued by the Council as evidence that it is winning the battle against litter and grime.

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Month	Litter	Detritus	Weed Growth	Staining	Fly posting	Graffiti
September 2013	14.98%	23.03	15.93%	9.46%	1.89%	2.52%
December  2013	12.7	14.74	2.65	13.02	.095	2.54

To report littering, fly tipping or any other environmental crime, you can contact Hounslow Highways by visiting http://www.hounslowhighways.org/38-contact-us.html

or call 0208 583 2000.