Better Bankside ebrief, JULY 2005 |
London Bridge is sticking up: gum removal and other cleaning initiatives
Discarded chewing gum is a blight on the areaÕs pavements. Read how Better Bankside responded to a challenge from Ansbacher to Ôget rid of the gumÕ. In Singapore you can get a $1,000 fine for chewing gum in a public, unless you have a medical certificate! The reason for this will be obvious to anybody who regularly walks LondonÕs busy streets, ÔspeckledÕ as they are with thousands of pieces of discarded gum. Until the gum industry responds to pressure to develop a less sticky Ð or even bio-degradable Ð gum, somebody will have to foot the bill for cleaning. One of BanksideÕs biggest businesses Ð Ansbacher & Co Ltd Ð has a particular issue with discarded gum. The problem is focused around a bus stop situated outside its HQ building on London Bridge. In response to a request from the bank, Better BanksideÕs cleansing contractors MDRC used a mixture of jet washing and steam cleaning to remove from the gum from a 20 metre stretch of pavement. The works took about six hours in total, with MDRC working from 4am in the mornings. In the event, neither Better Bankside nor MDRC was entirely happy with the result, given that the removed gum left some staining on the pavements. MDRC will be returning to the site in the near future to achieve a better finish. In the meantime Better Bankside has invited the Corporation of London, owners of London Bridge, to match its spending and to help clean both the surfaces of the bridge and its granite walls. In another new initiative, Better Bankside has been cleaning the Ôdropping offÕ zones in front of two local hotels Ð the Novotel and the Southwark Rose, both on Southwark Bridge Road. The cleansing Ôlaunch contractÕ Ð featured in previous e-briefs Ð is still underway, with work due to finish in a couple of weeks. The focus then moves on to a longer-term cleansing contract, tackling areas and problems not dealt with as part of Southwark CouncilÕs statutory cleaning service. It is likely that Better Bankside will employ at least one cleaner in its own right, equipped with an appropriate machine. If you have any comments on cleaning issues in the area or would be interested in joining Better Bankside's cleansing 'theme' group, please contact Better BanksideÕs Projects Manager, Chris Bateman, on 020 7928 4132, email cb@betterbankside.co.uk.
Ansbacher Novotel Southwark Rose |
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© Better Bankside | Call us on 0207 928 3998 | www.betterbankside.co.uk |
