TIDY Northern Ireland Borough Cleanliness Surveys

TIDY Northern Ireland's newly restructured Borough Cleanliness Survey has for many years provided councils throughout Northern Ireland with an independent monitoring service, giving a comprehensive analysis of factors affecting the cleanliness of their district.

We have broadened the scope of the survey for 2009 to give councils a more relevant and flexible service, and we trust that your council will be able to select a survey that meets your needs. A range of options is now available from regular quarterly surveys to one-off surveys for particular problem areas. The surveys will not only examine the cleanliness levels across different land use types, but will also analyse the types of litter found, aiding you in formulating actions and campaigns to combat problems relevant to your area.

TIDY Northern Ireland has many years experience in conducting this type of survey, and from previous results we can monitor your council's cleanliness levels and provide you with an indication of how your area compares to the Northern Ireland average. The survey also enables us to monitor the cleanliness of your council year on year, and we can provide you with an indicator of the progress being made in your area.

The published report will only identify councils by letter, ensuring that the performance of each individual council remains confidential.

The surveying process is based on the Government approved standards stipulated by NI 195, adapted by TIDY Northern Ireland to specifically cater for the unique challenges faced by Northern Ireland councils. New features add value to the surveys for 2009 ensuring the quality of the information supplied is guaranteed and providing additional information to assist management decision-making processes. Whilst TIDY Northern Ireland will continue to provide a reliable efficient service to councils we have significantly reduced the cost of this, making Borough Surveys an affordable management tool for tackling litter issues in 2009.

How does the Borough Cleanliness Survey work?

Grading of Transects:

The Borough Cleanliness Survey grades both litter and detritus by using a seven point grading system, rating cleanliness levels from an 'A' Grade to a 'D' Grade. This scale has been used on a wide range of sites in the UK and elsewhere in Europe since 1993, and has proven itself to accurately reflect standards from both service providers and customers' perspectives.

In addition to the litter grade and the detritus grade, which gives an indication of the frequency and effectiveness of street cleaning, the survey also examines the type of litter across various land use types.

Land Use Types:

For 2009 councils can select surveyable transects from the following land use types:

• Main Retail & Commercial Areas
• Other Retail & Commercial Areas
• High Obstruction Housing Areas
• Low Obstruction Housing Areas
• Industry, Warehousing, Retail Sheds and Science Parks
• Main Roads
• Rural Roads
• Recreational Areas

Litter Types:

The survey also categorizes litter into the following litter types:

• Food Residues
• Chewing Gum
• Takeaway Packaging
• Glass Bottles
• Plastic Packaging
• Metal Packaging
• Confectionery Litter
• Business Litter
• Non Packaging Litter
• Cigarette Litter
• Dog Fouling
• Other

Sources of Litter:

The survey identifies the source of litter, and categorizes them as follows:

• Pedestrians/Individuals
• Fast Food Outlet
• Overflowing Bins
• Motorist
• Weather Conditions
• Post men/women

Litter & Dog Fouling Bins:

The survey will identify the number of bins on each transect, allowing the council to see if there is a correlation between the cleanliness of transects and the availability of bins. It will also record whether the bin is overflowing.

NEW FOR 2009

From 2009 the Borough Cleanliness Survey will include:

• surveys carried out only by TIDY Northern Ireland staff, ensuring consistent grading across the province and relieving councils of the burden of conducting time consuming surveying.
• the identification of both graffiti and fly posting visible from the transect. As these are often on private property and out of the council's control they will not be subject to a grading system
• photographic evidence of all transects failing to meet the required standards due to high levels of litter
• publication of results by waste management group, allowing for councils to compare their performance against their neighbouring boroughs (subject to council numbers being large enough to retain anonymity).

AVAILABLE SURVEY PACKAGES FOR 2009

Site Specific Cleanliness Survey

Price: £750

• A one-off survey of 40 transects focused on a specific land-use type such as a housing estate or business park. These land use types can be selected at the council's discretion in response to a specific identified need.
• TIDY Northern Ireland will provide a detailed survey report showing the levels of litter and detritus. The overall figures will also be broken down litter type
• In cases where the council has previously conducted TIDY Northern Ireland Borough Cleanliness Surveys, the report will include a comparison of cleanliness levels from previous years.
• The report will highlight areas that TIDY Northern Ireland deems either particularly good or in need of attention.
• The report will include details of transects which failed to meet the required standards, and where necessary TIDY Northern Ireland can provide advice on possible solutions for these areas.
• The report will include photographical evidence of transects failing to meet the required standards

Annual Borough Cleanliness Survey

Price: £800

• A one-off survey of 40 transects across various land use types. These land use types can be selected at the council's discretion to reflect the composition within the council area.
• TIDY Northern Ireland will provide a detailed survey report showing the levels of litter and detritus. The overall figures will also be broken down by land use type and by litter type
• In cases where the council has previously conducted TIDY Northern Ireland Borough Cleanliness Surveys, the report will include a comparison of cleanliness levels from previous years.
• The report will highlight areas that TIDY Northern Ireland deems either particularly good or in need of attention.
• The report will include details of transects which failed to meet the required standards, and where necessary TIDY Northern Ireland can provide advice on possible solutions for these areas.
• The report will include photographical evidence of transects failing to meet the required standards

Borough Survey Land Use Categorisation

Price: £1,500

• TIDY Northern Ireland will categorize each street within your borough in terms of Land Use type, and calculate the overall percentage of each. This can be used to ensure relative representation of each land use type in subsequent surveys.

Standard Borough Cleanliness Survey

Price £2,750

• Four surveys to be carried out across the year, each approximately three months apart. Each survey will consist of 40 transects across various land use types. These land use types can be selected at the council's discretion to reflect the composition within the council area.
• TIDY Northern Ireland will compile results at the end of each survey and send the findings to the council, along with a 'rolling score' incorporating any previous survey results during the year.
• TIDY Northern Ireland will provide a detailed survey report at the end of the year showing the levels of litter and detritus. The overall figures will also be broken down by land use type and by litter type.
• In cases where the council has previously conducted TIDY Northern Ireland Borough Cleanliness Surveys, the report will include a comparison of cleanliness levels from previous years.
• The report will compare survey results against other councils in Northern Ireland. Where suitable, council results will be tabulated by waste management group to provide comparisons against other councils located in a similar geographic area.
• The report will highlight areas that TIDY Northern Ireland deems either particularly good or in need of attention.
• The report will include details of transects that failed to meet the required standards, and where necessary TIDY Northern Ireland can provide advice on possible solutions for these areas.
• The report will include photographical evidence of transects failing to meet the required standards

Detailed Borough Cleanliness Survey

Price £3,500

• Six surveys to be carried out across the year, one every two months. Each survey will consist of 40 transects across various land use types. These land use types can be selected at the council's discretion to reflect the composition within the council area.
• The survey and report will include all the features described in the Standard Borough Survey detailed above.

Tailored Surveys

Price on application

• TIDY Northern Ireland can offer tailored surveys to fit in with the needs of your council. These surveys can focus on one or more specific areas of interest, with the focus of the survey either on geographical areas, land use types, or particular types of litter. These surveys can also be applied to fly posting, graffiti or detritus levels.
• These surveys are particularly useful in monitoring the effectiveness of campaigns, and can be conducted before, during and/or after any campaigns have taken place.
• The surveys are flexible and TIDY Northern Ireland will liaise with the council to determine the survey frequency and detailed requirements.

Training of Surveyors

Price on application

• TIDY Northern Ireland can facilitate the training of council staff in cleanliness surveys. This training will enable your staff to plan litter surveys and effectively monitor cleanliness levels on the streets of your own council area.

Downloadable Information