Street cleaning services in Broadland could be reduced in a bid to make 'significant' savings for the local authority.

Eastern Daily Press: Changes to street cleaning arrangements in Broadland could save the authority £38,000 a year, according to a new report. Picture: Nick ButcherChanges to street cleaning arrangements in Broadland could save the authority £38,000 a year, according to a new report. Picture: Nick Butcher (Image: ©Archant 2013)

It would see additional leaf clearing services scrapped and a reduction in road and footway sweeping in certain areas.

Other changes outlined in the report by the head of housing and environmental services include the termination of additional A road cleaning.

Broadland District Council's service improvement and efficiency committee is to consider the options on Monday.

Should the full proposals be approved by full council at a later date it would save £38,000 in contractor costs.

The report follows numerous trials over the past seven months to test the impact of the reduced street cleaning services.

Typically the council carries out leaf clearance on a four-month cycle, with certain areas swept monthly and every two months.

But each year in December it adds an additional service for areas that experience heavy leaf fall. During a trial last winter, whereby the service was removed, the report stated the level of demand for it was very low.

If the additional service was ceased it would save around £7,000 a year.

The report also suggests reducing the frequency of road sweeping services across the district.

At present, the majority of roads are swept every four months. But 11 are cleaned on a monthly basis.

In October it carried out a trial on Yarmouth Road in Thorpe St Andrew to reduce the areas that are cleaned monthly to every four months.

The report stated it received no complains from the public about the road's cleanliness.

Other proposed changes include making street name posts out of plastic rather than wood.

This was due to the majority of repairs to street name signs being due to rotting posts.

Speaking about the proposals, Robert Fowkes, Sprowston town councillor, said the 'We don't tend to have too much of a problem with litter and the paths tend to be clean. It all depends on how much they reduce it by.'

Are you concerned about a service being cut? Call Luke Powell on 01603 772684