Minister Welcomes Launch of Clean Britain Awards 2014

The campaign for the Clean Britain Awards 2014, which recognise the efforts of local authorities to achieve high standards of street cleanliness and local environmental quality, opened for entries today at a launch event in Northamptonshire.

Now in their 25^th year, the Clean Britain Awards reflect the importance of a clean and well maintained environment in promoting better quality of life in local communities and supporting economic development and prosperity. Welcoming the launch of the 2014 awards, waste and resources minister Lord de Mauley said: “Local environment quality is an issue that is of utmost importance to local communities, and those that work tirelessly to help keep our local streets and amenities clean and pleasant are often overlooked. I am delighted that the CIWM Clean Britain Awards, being launched today, recognise these unsung heroes for all their dedication and efforts, and I fully support the initiative.”

The Chartered Institution of Wastes Management (CIWM) took over the running and management of the awards in 2012 from the British Cleaning Council (BCC), which continues to support the initiative.

 “In 2011/12, local authorities spent over £700 million on street cleansing and this major contribution to keeping our public spaces clean and attractive deserves recognition,” says CIWM chief executive Steve Lee. “Research has shown that people are genuinely concerned about issues such as litter and graffiti and that their perceptions of safety and wellbeing are affected by the cleanliness of their local area. Through these awards we want to raise the profile of the excellent services being provided by many councils, and encourage communities and local organisations to get involved too.”

The judging process for the awards includes unannounced inspections by expert judges and written feedback to all entrants to help them identify where performance could be improved. At last year’s Clean Britain Awards, nine local authorities stepped up to the podium to receive awards, with the gold awards going to Hyndburn Borough Council (Small Local Authority category), North Tyneside Council (Medium Local Authority category) and Northumberland County Council (Large Local Authority category). The overall national winner was North Tyneside Council for outstanding all-round performance.

At the launch, which took place at Rockingham Raceway as part of the AEBI Schmidt Conference and Gala Dinner, previous winners Broxtowe Borough Council presented a case study on their progress and performance and what the award had meant for the council. Paul Syson, waste and recycling manager, said: “The Clean Britain Awards are more than just a reflection of clean streets and town centres. They also reflect the hopes and aspirations of our communities.”

Sponsored again this year by Kier, the Clean Britain Awards cover four categories, each with a gold, silver and bronze award: Large Local Authority: (population in excess of 200,000); Medium Local Authority: (population between 100,000 and 200,000); Small Local Authority: (population lower than 100,000); Community Award: For other groups and organisations that play a positive role in improving local environmental quality.