An extra one million pounds has been invested into the City of London Corporation’s street cleansing operations to help keep the Square Mile clean.

The funding will tackle some of the City’s biggest littering and anti-social behaviour hotspots, particularly across evenings and weekends, where footfall has exceeded pre-pandemic levels.

TfL data comparing 2021 figures to those of 2023 shows that Square Mile footfall is up 181.5% at the weekends, 236% Tuesday to Thursdays, and 191% on Mondays and Fridays.

The funding decision was approved by the City Corporation’s Policy & Resources Committee and supports Destination City, the organisation’s growth strategy for the Square Mile as a world-leading business and leisure location.

The money has enabled the roll out of extra street cleaners on the ground, with more shifts taking place over evenings and weekends, the reintroduction of the night-time UriLifts, and public awareness campaigns to deter anti-social behaviour.

EC BID, the Business Improvement District for the Eastern City, is also working with the City Corporation, providing extra funds to boost street cleaning for a trial period of six months, focussing on Gracechurch Street, Bishopsgate, Fenchurch Street, Eastcheap, and St Mary Axe.

Chair of the City Corporation’s Port Health and Environmental Services Committee, Mary Durcan, said:

“The City of London is home to some 615,000 workers, 8,600 residents, and welcomes millions of tourists every year.

“Our standards are incredibly high, with weekend visitor numbers increasing, and weekday footfall continuing to grow.

“Data shows that, since April last year, levels of litter in the Square Mile have halved, and are already more than 70% lower than the wider London benchmark.

“We’re committed to making the City a vibrant, safe and clean place to work in, live in, and explore, and it’s encouraging to see the same dedication from our key partners and stakeholders.”

Kate Hart, CEO of the EC BID said:

“This trial fulfils our commitment to enhance key areas of the public realm, creating a more attractive, accessible and welcoming environment.

“The return of employees back to the workplace, increasing visitor footfall and a thriving nighttime economy are all hugely welcome but they do create challenges which need to be managed.

“The Eastern City is one of the most iconic and important financial centres in the world so it’s important we provide our business community with a working environment to match.

“This collaboration with the City Corporation demonstrates the power of private/public partnership and is just one of many ways we are working together for the benefit of our community.”

ENDS

Notes to editors

The City of London Corporation is the governing body of the Square Mile dedicated to a vibrant and thriving City, supporting a diverse and sustainable London within a globally-successful UK – www.cityoflondon.gov.uk.

The City of London Corporation's waste collection, street cleansing and ancillary service contract is delivered by Veolia – www.veolia.com.

UriLift is a pop-up, portable toilet that can be installed almost anywhere on the street.

The NI195 survey is designed to provide a ‘representative’ picture of cleanliness within a local authority area. For more information, visit https://www.keepbritaintidy.org/local-authorities/understand-your-problem/environmental-surveys