Investment means cleaner and safer streets, says Rotherham Council
FUNDING for street cleaning and town centre patrols has reaped rewards, says Rotherham Council.
The local authority’s investment has helped two new teams clean roads, remove rubbish and deliver town centre patrols.
This, claims the council, has made Rotherham’s streets cleaner and safer over the past year.
When it meets on April 13, the council’s cabinet will be told that, since launching, the roadside cleansing team’s work has seen 146km of roadside verges litter-picked, 4,200 bags of rubbish removed, 12 tonnes of waste collected, plus additional unbagged fly-tipping waste, and enhanced intelligence gathering, including hotspot recording of fly-tipping, asbestos and drug paraphernalia.
The team was created following a £307,000 investment in last year’s budget, with a further £272,000 agreed for 2026/27 to expand the team.
Alongside the cleansing work, the council’s new Street Safe Team – recruited through a £570,000 investment in last year’s budget - has been patrolling Rotherham’s town centres daily, providing reassurance to residents, tackling antisocial behaviour, and supporting partner organisations.
Since going live, the team has delivered 1,620 hours of high-profile patrols in Rotherham town centre and 112 hours of patrols across other town centres, issued 12 Community Protection Warnings and nine Fixed Penalty Notices relating to PSPO breaches, raised 17 environmental waste cases and provided 17 intelligence reports leading directly to arrests in four cases.
The team has also provided vital support to vulnerable people, with six referrals for vulnerable adults and four emergency first aid interventions, including one that uncovered a domestic violence incident.
Together the two teams are forming a coordinated effort to improve the look, feel and safety of Rotherham’s public spaces, said the council.
Cllr Lynda Marshall, cabinet member for street scene and green spaces, said: “Residents have told us that clean streets and safe neighbourhoods are their top priorities, and these teams are delivering exactly that.
“You can already see and feel the difference their work is making across our communities.”
Cllr Saghir Alam, cabinet member for finance and community safety, added: “With continued investment and the dedication of these new teams, we’re building on this positive progress and creating the cleaner, safer Rotherham that residents expect and deserve.”