Here's an idea

We started the "Safe and clean" scheme because the state of the streets was the top concern of residents. We wanted to do something instantly effective that would give people confidence in their environment.

It is essentially rapid-response street cleaning for the 9000 mixed-tenure households we cover – but it's in addition to what the council provides.

It costs £8000 a month for four men and a van, which might sound like a lot but we pay for the quick reaction and flexibility of this dedicated service.

The team deals with anything from street sweeping to steam cleaning, flytipping and removal of bulky household items.

Crucially, we also use residents and tenants as volunteer street reps to keep an eye on how the initiative is going and to grade street cleanliness.

They spot things such as dumped vehicles or particularly grubby areas. It makes them feel involved and gives them a sense of ownership of the scheme.

It's a very direct approach – the customer tells us what jobs need doing and then they can see it is being done.

People know it's dedicated to their neighbourhood and not the whole borough, which gives them pride in where they live.

We think it affects much more than just making the streets clean. If your streets are clean, you feel safer – hence the name. In the long term, the scheme is cost-effective because we see it as a social investment.