Street cleaning
We sweep every residential street at least once a week. Busy shopping areas such as East Ham High Street, Green Street, Upton Lane, Plashet Road, Plashet Grove, Great Eastern Road, Angel Lane and Stratford Broadway are swept continuously between the hours of 6am to 10pm, seven days a week.
Main highways are cleaned daily, in the mornings and again in the afternoon. Mechanical sweeping machines are used on our main roads and also assist in sweeping residential streets.
As part of your road being swept, weeds are also removed by our staff, in conjunction with a programme of weed spraying that’s carried out three times a year. And our busy parks are cleared of litter during the summer six days a week. #
Weed Control in Newham
To keep our streets clean and tidy, we apply weed killer three times a year. These treatments focus on hard surfaces such as pavements, road gullies, and gutters. Treatments take place between March and October every nine to twelve-weeks, depending on weather conditions.
Weed killer is only applied to visible growth at the time of treatment, meaning that new weeds may sprout between visits. It typically takes two to three weeks for weeds to die after treatment. Once they die, they usually decompose naturally. However, if large amounts of dead weeds remain after three weeks, our street cleansing team may clear them away.
Weed Control Trials
We are currently trialling two new weed control methods in Newham:
1. Manual Removal
- Weeds will be left to grow until they reach a size suitable for manual removal.
2. Chemical Removal
- A new chemical treatment, will be tested to assess its effectiveness in controlling weed growth – this is believed to minimise the impact of weed control on the environment. This chemical may have a slight vinegar-like smell associated with it.
These trials will be closely monitored to ensure effectiveness and safety. All new methods have undergone rigorous safety testing and risk assessments.
Trial Locations
Parts of the following Wards are included in the weed control trials:
Manor Park (E12)
Forest Gate South (E7)
Little Ilford (E12)
Plaistow West & Canning Town East (E16)
Help keep our streets clean
Report street cleaning issues so that we can deal with them as soon as possible. Things you can report online:
Report a street cleansing issue
Read more about our Recycling, Waste and Street Cleansing Strategy (PDF)
