Each month I try to have a stroll around the Ward of Bishopsgate and look at the general state of cleanliness, report any repairs which may need to be made and just look at the way residents, visitors and vehicles use our shared spaces. I know, it sounds very dull, but actually I think it’s quite important for the overall aesthetic of our community. Often it’s the small things like a missing strut on a bench, a bit of graffiti on a wall or overflowing bins.
This week I’ve been really disappointed at the state of cleanliness of our streets and walkways. Bishopsgate is one of the busiest areas of the City of London, with millions of visitors passing through Liverpool Street Station each year. With the opening of Crossrail, this is a gateway location to the City for domestic and international visitors. We must take pride in these things if the City of London Corporation is truly to deliver it’s vision of a ‘Destination City’.
New Street and areas around Liverpool Street were by far the worst and I found so many of the stone floor slabs were badly stained or had dried vomit on them.
I spoke to the Executive Director of the Environment at the City of London Corporation who was equally disappointed, but I have to say that some rapid action was taken to address the issue.
- A cleaning team was immediately dispatched to re-clean the streets and walkways
- A new team dedicated to addressing pavement staining (particularly from greasy food) will begin in 2 weeks
- Enforcement Officers are working with McDonalds in Liverpool Street to address the litter and cleaning standards around their property.
- Changes to the times and days cleaning occurs in Bishopsgate Ward are being trialled
I am also aware that the City Corporation’s Port Health and Environment Committee did cut the budget for street cleansing during the pandemic, due to the reduced footfall, but we are pushing for this to be fully restored at the earliest opportunity.
If you see any other issues of concern around the Bishopsgate Ward, please don’t hesitate to get in touch with me.
