MORE than half a million pounds will be invested to keep the borough's streets clean, tidy and litter-free if plans are approved by the council's new cabinet. 

Basingstoke and Deane Borough Council’s new cabinet is proposed to approve plans to expand the authority's street cleaning and grounds maintenance services at a meeting on Tuesday, September 5.

The proposal will boost the street cleansing team, which carries out key tasks such as litter picking, emptying litter bins, clearing leaf fall, fly-tipping and graffiti, with six more staff.

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It will also see a specialist six-strong 'Make a Difference Team' set up to target problem areas across the borough and carry out high-priority deep cleaning projects in communities.

A further three staff will also be recruited to carry out grounds maintenance work including grass cutting and management of shrubs and hedges. A new digital mapping officer will also be employed to support the effective delivery of both services.

In the latest residents’ survey, clean and litter-free streets were ranked in the top three most important services in making an area a good place to live.

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Cabinet member for residents’ services and housing, Cllr Laura James, said: “Our residents have told us how much they value clean, tidy and litter-free streets.

“We want our communities to be proud of their area and clean streets play a big part in this. Two-thirds of our residents have said they are satisfied with the current level of service we deliver, but we can do more. 

“We are listening to our residents and want to invest in the services that really matter to them. We are proposing to boost our street cleansing and grounds maintenance teams with more staff and more equipment to deliver an enhanced service for our residents.”