The Chamberlain News

Big Mac to help clean up Birmingham streets – and the council’s ‘lovin’ it’

Britain’s largest local authority may be strapped for cash, but the streets of Birmingham will soon be cleaner at no cost to the public purse thanks to a deal with fast food chain McDonald’s.

The purveyors of Big Macs and other delicacies are to sign a deal with the city council pledging to keep the areas around their 90 Birmingham restaurants free of discarded food packaging.

The voluntary street litter agreement is the largest of its kind by a fast food chain in Birmingham and will include all McDonald’s franchises across the city.

Since 2014-15, a total of 460 takeaway food businesses have made the same pledge to keep pavements and public areas around their premises free of litter.

The McDonald’s deal should please backbench councillors across the political divide who routinely pass on residents’ complaints about dirty streets and litter to cabinet member Lisa Trickett.

The street cleaning agreements are being pushed forward as part of council leader John Clancy’s commitment to developing partnership working with private sector firms.

The council was severely criticised in the Kerslake Review for a ‘we know best attitude’ and a reluctance to embrace partnership working.

With a further £250 million likely to be cut from council budgets over the next four years and a reconfiguration of waste collection services underway, the only prospect for additional street cleaning would appear to be free of charge from Birmingham businesses.

The latest performance indicators report presented to the cabinet last month showed that 7.3 per cent of Birmingham highways and land have unacceptable levels of litter. The target is five per cent.

The council has said it expects “refocused citizen and trader education, engagement and enforcement” to help it meet the target.

Pic: Trip Advisor/Ian0345