The Code of Practice on Litter & Refuse (COPLR), issued under section 89 of the Environmental Protection Act (EPA) 1990, lays down the cleanliness standards required, and response times to be met should standards fall, for different types of land under the control of the Council. For more details, see the COPLR|.
Cleanliness monitoring surveys have been carried out across the Council area since June 2002, as part of our commitment to Keep Scotland Beautiful’s People & Places Programme and as a means of measuring the performance of our street cleansing service. We hope that the results will also, in the longer term, reflect the impacts of our community education and enforcement policies.
The monitoring methodology employed, known as the 'Cleanliness Index Monitoring System' or CIMS for short, has been designed to give an objective measurement of how well we are doing in meeting the requirements of the COPLR.
On four occasions per year trained Officers from Falkirk council systematically survey areas within a 2% random sample of streets and ‘functional sites’ (e.g. carparks, shrub beds and grassed areas) across the Council area. An additional two surveys are undertaken by other local authorities and a validation survey is done by Keep Scotland Beautiful.
Each site surveyed is awarded a cleanliness grade of ‘A’ (completely clean), grade ‘B+’ (no more than 3 small items of litter) grade ‘B’ (a small amount of litter present), grade ‘C’ (widespread litter) or grade ‘D’ (heavily littered).
Each ‘A’ grade recorded during the survey is awarded 3 points, each ‘B+’ 2 ½ points, each ‘B’ grade 2 points and each ‘C’ grade 1 point. Grade ‘D’ sites receive no points.
A score can then be calculated for the survey as followed
Actual score = (no. of A grade sites x 3) + (no. of B+ grade sites x 2 ½) + (no. of B grade sites x 2) + (no. of C grade sites x 1)
The maximum possible score, i.e. if all sites achieved Grade A, would be
Maximum possible score = (total no. of sites surveyed x 3)
By dividing the actual score by the maximum possible score and multiplying by 100, we achieve what is known as the 'cleanliness index'.
To explain in a bit more detail what the cleanliness index demonstrates, a survey undertaken where every site recorded a grade ‘D’ would result in a cleanliness index of 0 – clearly completely unacceptable.
On the other hand, a survey undertaken where every site recorded a grade ‘A’ would achieve a cleanliness index of 100.
What the COPLR is asking is for us to strive to reach an ‘acceptable’ standard of cleanliness across the Council area. Whilst grade ‘As’ are the ultimate goal, they are very difficult to achieve, and certainly difficult to maintain for any length of time. For example, a grade ‘A’ site would have to contain not a single item of litter – not even a cigarette end! This may be achievable immediately after sweeping, but you can appreciate how quickly the standard will fall again to grade ‘B’.
For this reason we are striving, realistically, to achieve a grade ‘B’ standard of cleanliness across the Council area. If all areas surveyed achieved a grade ‘B’ standard, this would equate to a cleanliness index of 67.
When the surveys are undertaken we also gather statistical information on types and sources of litter recorded, and on ‘Adverse Environmental Quality Indicators’ including the presence of graffiti, flyposting, weeds and detritus (e.g. silt, leaves etc.)
Performance reporting and targets
Audit Scotland has now introduced a Statutory Performance Indicator for cleanliness. A national survey process known as Local Environmental Audit & Management System (LEAMS) is now undertaken by every Scottish Local Authority.
LEAMS uses CIMS survey techniques to obtain comparison cleanliness values for all Local Authorities. In addition to the Council’s own four surveys, external surveys are undertaken on two occasions by other Local Authorities and a validation survey by Keep Scotland Beautiful, who compile the results and provide us with an annual report.
To date we are falling slightly short of the minimal acceptable cleanliness index of 67. Our target is to achieve a continual improvement in our survey score, with the aim of reaching a cleanliness index of 69 by 2007.
The Council places a high importance to this measurement process and has included the cleanliness target among its key performance environmental indicators for a 'Sustainable Falkirk'.