The council has acquired the new equipment as part of a joint investment with Terra Verde Services Ltd (TVS), the local authority’s in-house company that carries out waste, recycling, and street cleansing services across the community.

The equipment includes four large mechanical sweepers, two smaller mechanical sweepers, and eight leaf blowers, to support TVS teams in clearing leaves from streets during the autumn months.

According to the council, crews have reported efficiency gains since the introduction of the new kit, with the mechanical sweepers enabling teams to cover up to 50 miles each day.

Contracts delivery and deputy leader, Cllr Ray Balcombe, said: ‘Our street cleansing teams amend their normal sweeping schedules in the autumnal months to clear leaf fall as quickly as possible.’

He added: ‘We do not have to offer this service as it is not a statutory requirement, but despite the severe financial challenges we are faced with, we know our residents value a clean and well-kept street.

‘Our street cleansing team will be working hard across the district over the coming months, keeping our streets and footpaths clean and safe for everyone – we want people to feel proud of where they live, and our leaf clearance service plays a small but important role in that.’

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