Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
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Helping councils clean up: Local environment quality survey is complete

Helping councils clean up: Local environment quality survey is complete

DEPARTMENT FOR ENVIRONMENT, FOOD AND RURAL AFFAIRS News Release (305/08) issued by COI News Distribution Service. 16 September 2008

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:
http://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:
http://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
Amber Valley
Ashfield
Ashford
Aylesbury Vale
Babergh
Barnsley
Barrow-in-Furness
Basildon
Basingstoke and Deane
Bath and North East Somerset
Blaby
Blackburn with Darwen
Bolsover
Bracknell Forest
Braintree
Broadland
Broxtowe
Burnley
Cambridge
Cannock Chase
Canterbury
Caradon
Carlisle
Carrick
Castle Point
Charnwood
Cherwell
Chesterfield
Chester-le-Street
Chorley
Colchester
Copeland
Corby
Coventry
Dacorum
Dartford
Derwentside
Doncaster
Dover
Dudley
East Devon
East Hampshire
East Northamptonshire
East Staffordshire
Eastbourne
Eastleigh
Eden
Exeter
Fareham
Gateshead
Gedling
Gosport
Gravesham
Great Yarmouth
Halton
Hambleton
Hart
Havant
Herefordshire
Hertsmere
Hinckley and Bosworth
Hyndburn
Isle of Wight
Kennet
Kensington and Chelsea
Kerrier
Kettering
Lancaster
Leeds
Leicester
Lewes
Lichfield
Luton
Malvern Hills
Medway
Melton
Mendip
Mid Devon
Mid Suffolk
Middlesbrough
Milton Keynes
New Forest
Newcastle upon Tyne
Newcastle-under-Lyme
North Cornwall
North East Derbyshire
North East Lincolnshire
North Hertfordshire
North Lincolnshire
North West Leicestershire
North Wiltshire
Northampton
Nottingham
Nuneaton and Bedworth
Oadby and Wigston
Oldham
Oxford
Pendle
Penwith (with Isles of
Scilly)
Plymouth
Portsmouth
Preston
Purbeck
Reading
Redcar and Cleveland
Redditch
Restormel
Ribble Valley
Rochdale
Rochford
Rossendale
Rotherham
Rugby
Rushcliffe
Rushmoor
Rutland
Ryedale
Selby
Sevenoaks
Sheffield
Shepway
Slough
South Cambridgeshire
South Hams
South Kesteven
South Lakeland
South Oxfordshire
South Ribble
South Staffordshire
South Tyneside
Southampton
St. Albans
St. Edmundsbury
Stafford
Staffordshire Moorlands
Stevenage
Stockton-on-Tees
Stoke-on-Trent
Stratford-on-Avon
Swindon
Tandridge
Teesdale
Telford and Wrekin
Tendring
Test Valley
Thanet
Three Rivers
Thurrock
Tonbridge and Malling
Torbay
Tynedale
Uttlesford
Vale of White Horse
Vale Royal
Wakefield
Warrington
Warwick
Watford
Wealden
Wear Valley
Wellingborough
Welwyn Hatfield
West Berkshire
West Dorset
West Oxfordshire
West Wiltshire
Weymouth and Portland
Winchester
Windsor and Maidenhead
Wokingham
Wolverhampton
Worcester
York


Public enquiries 08459 335577;
Press notices are available on our website
http://www.defra.gov.uk
Defra's aim is sustainable development

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