Understanding the performance indicators that local government are using to measure the cleanliness of our streets is important for us. It helps make sure that our product can capture information that our partners need to improve their performance.
Since last year councils have been measuring the amounts of graffiti and flyposting alongside the amount of litter and detritus on our streets. The Guidance on BVPI 199 sets out why:
Reducing unacceptable levels of graffiti and flyposting forms a key part of Government’s Cleaner Safer Greener Communities Programme and these indicators are included as part of ODPM’s [now DCLG] PSA 8 on Liveability. Through the improved management information delivered to authorities by the indicator, they should aim to reduce the score year on year.
Later the guidance expands on the argument:
A street can be Grade A for litter and detritus and still appear dirty and uncared for because of the many other local environmental quality factors that come into play. Whilst the indicator cannot include all of these factors, it has been expanded to include three that we know impact on people’s perception of the local environment.
Local authorities will be measured against the percentage of sites surveyed where graffiti and flyposting falls below Grade B (see below for an idea of what Grade B looks like).
At the moment there aren’t any formal targets for reducing the number of incidents of graffiti and flyposting, but it now makes up part of PSA 8 and as the guideance points out:
Local Public Service Agreements (LPSAs) negotiated between local and central government often include reference to targets for improving local environmental quality and the expanded indicator can be used to help inform these.
