Letters to the Editor - An end to clean streets?

Published: 9 April, 2010

• IN early February, senior council staff Dean Ingledew and Leith Penny announced their vision for the future of Street Management across the streets of Westminster – your streets.
The idea they have proposed is to move away from the current system of City Guardians and City Inspectors. They want one street team doing both jobs.
This means reducing street staff from 120 to only 65.
Their vision, essentially, is to slash front-line services, something the city council said it would never do.
In the past the council have been proud of the contribution made by the City Guardians and rightly so.
It’s unclear what will happen if the service is reduced.
But we would say it is likely that Westminster residents, whom we are here to serve, can look forward with decreasing confidence that their streets will be clean and cared for.
They may see increasing numbers of faulty lights, more dangers on the footpath, litter, graffiti and abandoned cars and more waste piling up.
Perhaps even crime will increase.
The new team simply cannot cope with the volume of work the old teams did.
If you believe that City Guardians and City Inspectors have helped in your area, and you don’t believe city councils should avoid their civic responsibilities, contact your local councillor, your MP or join Westminster Unison’s campaign.
STEPHEN HIGGINS
Secretary, Westminster Unison