Big smile Kensington and Chelsea! Council chiefs have unveiled an enterprising initiative that will see the Royal Borough get an early Spring clean.
The Town Hall has revealed a £700,000 street cleaning and waste boost for 2026, vowing to make its pavements “the cleanest in the UK”.
And here’s the twist: the £700,000 is not coming from Council Tax.
Instead, it will be funded by income from fines that have been collected for littering and environmental crime, fly-tipping enforcement and also increased parking income, which is partly ring-fenced for environmental use.
This cannily re-routed cash injection will fund more staff, more vehicles, more bins — and a major upgrade to the daily clean-up schedule, with 50 extra streets set to get dumped rubbish cleared every day, starting this month.
In a nod to the borough’s architecturally rich image and its high footfall, busy hotspots like shopping streets and restaurant strips will also get enhanced street washing, with a new crew and vehicle drafted in.
The Council says it’s investing in two new electric vehicles and three electric sweepers — aimed at tackling grime while also cutting pollution. Tourist-heavy areas will get extra attention too, with more staff emptying bins at weekends, when the streets are packed and litter levels spike.
Cllr Johnny Thalassites, lead member for environment and planning, said residents care about how their neighbourhoods look — and the Council is determined to deliver. He said:
“We pride ourselves on the cleanliness of our streets, but there is always more we can do, which is why we are making this extra effort to make the streets of Kensington and Chelsea the cleanest in the UK.”
And despite the borough’s financial storm clouds — including a £108 million funding gap over the next four years and recovery from a recent cyber attack — he insisted the clean-up plan proves the Council is still focused on what locals want.
“This boost to our waste and street cleaning shows that this Council is absolutely committed to finding ways to meet the priorities of our residents and visitors.”
The Council says it’s already scoring strongly in resident satisfaction surveys: 81% said they were happy with waste collection, 77% were satisfied with street cleaning.
That’s above London and national averages — but the borough wants to push the numbers even higher, with the ultimate goal of becoming Britain’s best-kept patch.
Bottom line: Kensington and Chelsea is putting its money where its mop is — and sending a message to litterbugs and fly-tippers: your fines are now paying for the clean-up!
