A new clean and green team in Harlow

Published by Elizabeth Pokorny for Kier Services in Environment

A new team to keep Harlow clean and tidy has started work

The permanent four-person Environment Response Team is part of a £670,000 investment in Harlow which forms part of the contract extension agreed between Harlow Council and Kier Services Ltd.

The team was launched in April 2012 and has already carried out a number of clean up tasks across the town at places like: Post Office Road Underpass, Tithelands, Moorfields, Fir Park, Kingsmoor Road, Red Willow, Hare Street Springs, Glebelands, Katherines, Mark Hall North, Finchmoor and The Maples.

The team targets both litter hot spots and areas identified by residents carrying out tasks such as:

• Bramble clearance
• Litter and rubbish removal
• Path clearance
• Clearance of small fly tips
• Weed spraying

The team is in addition to other services Kier Harlow Ltd provides on behalf of the Council like: routine street cleaning, grass cutting, dealing with abandoned vehicles, emptying litter bins, weed spraying, graffiti removal, fly-posting, fly-tipping and cleaning street furniture.

As part of the new approach to cleaning up the town all litter bins are being converted for dual use to take dog waste - effectively providing the town with 200 extra bins.

Councillor Jon Clempner, Portfolio Holder for Environment, said: “Keeping streets clean is a priority for residents and this investment in the Environment Response Team will help to deal with hot spots as they arise, but it is also about residents helping to keep the town clean too.

“We know most residents look after the environment and use the services available but if there is a problem which needs cleaning up we need to know about it.”

Operations director for Kier Harlow John Phillips commented: “Kier Harlow is delighted to be able to improve its environmental service to the residents of Harlow.”