NEWS RELEASE
Date: 16 September 2008
Nobel House, 17 Smith Square, London SW1P 3JR
Out of hours telephone 020 7270 8960
Helping councils clean up: Local Environment Quality Survey is complete
The final part of a two year survey that assesses the quality of the local environment across England is published today.
The Extended Local Environment Quality Survey of England provides in-depth information for each local authority on their performance in managing key street-level environmental problems in their area, including litter, fly-posting and graffiti.
The survey was carried out to provide local authorities with the detailed information they need to target their resources effectively in tackling these issues.
Headline information from the survey is available on the Defra website so local residents can see how their area is shaping up.
Environment Minister Jonathan Shaw said:
“We all have a right to enjoy our public spaces, but keeping them clean is a costly job.
“Local authorities wanted more detailed information to help them improve the state of their areas. Each individual report is a valuable tool that we hope will be used to inform local decisions about prioritising funding and work.
“It’s not just down to our local authorities - everyone has a part to play in keeping our streets clean – there’s much more we can all do to cut down on litter. I hope this information will also encourage people to think more carefully about how they treat their local environment.”
Phil Barton, Chief Executive Keep Britain Tidy, said:
“The results of this report show that more needs to be done to tackle the problem of litter in this country. Clearly the levels of litter nationwide are unacceptable.
“On September 1st we launched the Big Tidy Up – a month long litter blitz. There are thousands of litter picks taking place across the country designed to rid our streets of grime. There is a real strength of feeling to bring about change and make our streets cleaner, greener and safer. Keep Britain Tidy is committed to working with local councils to bring about real improvements.”
Cllr Paul Bettison, chairman of the Local Government Association of the Environment Board, said:
"It is important that this work is carried out, so councils have a clear understanding of the steps needed to make the streets of their area better for local people. Councils are using their powers to get tough on the minority of people who spoil the local area for everyone else. Fines and on the spot penalties help make sure council tax is kept down and the environment protected."
Results from 175 local authority surveys are published today, and follow the 174 that were carried out last year.
This local level survey builds on the existing national survey, which is carried out for Defra annually by ENCAMS.
Notes to editors
1. You can find out about your area on the Defra website:
www.defra.gov.uk/environment/localenv/reports/index.htm
2. Defra commissioned ENCAMS to carry out the surveys. The full surveys can be found at:
www.encams.org/general/leqse_extended_reports.asp
Please contact Dickie Felton in the ENCAMS press office on 01942 612617 for further information on how the surveys were conducted.
3. Over 130,000 sites will have been visited across every English council area during this two year project.
4. The annual Local Environment Quality Survey of England, which reports on the state of the national environment will be published in the autumn.
5. In total 353 local authorities across England were surveyed between April 2007 and March 2008. Five outstanding reports from local authorities in Barnet, Redbridge, Southend, North Norfolk, and Maldon have now been completed and will be published towards the end of this year.
6. The 175 Authority areas that have been covered in this round are below.
Allerdale |
Great Yarmouth |
Ribble Valley |
Welwyn Hatfield |
Amber Valley |
Halton |
Rochdale |
West Berkshire |
Ashfield |
Hambleton |
Rochford |
West Dorset |
Ashford |
Hart |
Rossendale |
West Oxfordshire |
Aylesbury Vale |
Havant |
Rotherham |
West Wiltshire |
Babergh |
Herefordshire |
Rugby |
Weymouth and Portland |
Barnsley |
Hertsmere |
Rushcliffe |
Winchester |
Barrow-in-Furness |
Hinckley and Bosworth |
Rushmoor |
Windsor and Maidenhead |
Basildon |
Hyndburn |
Rutland |
Wokingham |
Basingstoke and Deane |
Isle of Wight |
Ryedale |
Wolverhampton |
Bath and North East Somerset |
Kennet |
Selby |
Worcester |
Blaby |
Kensington and Chelsea |
Sevenoaks |
York |
Blackburn with Darwen |
Kerrier |
Sheffield |
|
Bolsover |
Kettering |
Shepway |
|
Bracknell Forest |
Lancaster |
Slough |
|
Braintree |
Leeds |
South Cambridgeshire |
|
Broadland |
Leicester |
South Hams |
|
Broxtowe |
Lewes |
South Kesteven |
|
Burnley |
Lichfield |
South Lakeland |
|
Cambridge |
Luton |
South Oxfordshire |
|
Cannock Chase |
Malvern Hills |
South Ribble |
|
Canterbury |
Medway |
South Staffordshire |
|
Caradon |
Melton |
South Tyneside |
|
Carlisle |
Mendip |
Southampton |
|
Carrick |
Mid Devon |
St. Albans |
|
Castle Point |
Mid Suffolk |
St. Edmundsbury |
|
Charnwood |
Middlesbrough |
Stafford |
|
Cherwell |
Milton Keynes |
Staffordshire Moorlands |
|
Chesterfield |
New Forest |
Stevenage |
|
Chester-le-Street |
Newcastle upon Tyne |
Stockton-on-Tees |
|
Chorley |
Newcastle-under-Lyme |
Stoke-on-Trent |
|
Colchester |
North Cornwall |
Stratford-on-Avon |
|
Copeland |
North East Derbyshire |
Swindon |
|
Corby |
North East Lincolnshire |
Tandridge |
|
Coventry |
North Hertfordshire |
Teesdale |
|
Dacorum |
North Lincolnshire |
Telford and Wrekin |
|
Dartford |
North West Leicestershire |
Tendring |
|
Derwentside |
North Wiltshire |
Test Valley |
|
Doncaster |
Northampton |
Thanet |
|
Dover |
Nottingham |
Three Rivers |
|
Dudley |
Nuneaton and Bedworth |
Thurrock |
|
East Devon |
Oadby and Wigston |
Tonbridge and Malling |
|
East Hampshire |
Oldham |
Torbay |
|
East Northamptonshire |
Oxford |
Tynedale |
|
East Staffordshire |
Pendle |
Uttlesford |
|
Eastbourne |
Penwith (with Isles of Scilly) |
Vale of White Horse |
|
Eastleigh |
Plymouth |
Vale Royal |
|
Eden |
Portsmouth |
Wakefield |
|
Exeter |
Preston |
Warrington |
|
Fareham |
Purbeck |
Warwick |
|
Gateshead |
Reading |
Watford |
|
Gedling |
Redcar and Cleveland |
Wealden |
|
Gosport |
Redditch |
Wear Valley |
|
Gravesham |
Restormel |
Wellingborough |
|
End
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Page published: 16 September 2008