London is getting cleaner and even though we've had a massive influx of visitors, our councils have managed to reduce rubbish and get a better grip on grime.
So says a report published today (1st December) by Keep Britain Tidy, on behalf of Capital Standards who scrutinised 26 boroughs during summer to see if a drive to clean-up London - Capital Standards - had made its mark.
And with the news that we've maintained or bettered our score in 29 of the 31 environmental indicators examined (from litter on the street to graffiti on walls) - it does seem that the capital is finally beginning to lose it's dirty town tag.
The big plus points of the survey were reductions in flyposting, graffiti, dumped junk (such as mattresses and cookers) and detritus. Councils had even managed to empty bins more quickly. A mix of education campaigns, enforcement drives and improvements in how and when the 26 areas were cleaned up, also resulted in less litter. But while that last point spells good news for tourism (people from countries such as America and Germany hate dirty streets), increased pavement staining around our stations is still leaving visitors with a poor first impression.
'We should take satisfaction from the results of this survey but also realise we still have a long way to go' said Alan Cook, Chair of the Capital Standards Steering Group. 'If we want to pitch ourselves as a place to visit, invest in and hold major international events at, we have to concentrate our efforts around tourist hotspots and ensure that the first places people see are kept in pristine condition. That said, we are making good progress and I'm particularly pleased that there is less litter about the place.'
Justin Jupp, Keep Britain Tidy's Director for London was also encouraged by the reduction in rubbish, claiming that 'we've bucked a long running national trend.'
He said: 'A drop in litter is no mean feat in this increasingly throw-away society. However, there is no room for complacency and the Boroughs we surveyed need to continually evaluate how and when they do their cleaning, especially as the survey showed that they are still hitting the streets when there are too many obstructions about.'
Concluded Justin: 'What we also need to see is the public playing a far bigger part by using a bin. It's not rocket science and by doing so, they could be helping London to establish a reputation as one of the cleanest capitals in Europe.'