Third lockdown hits street cleaning services in West Leeds

Litter picking on estates in inner West Leeds has been affected by staff illness and self isolation, a council report has admitted.

Councillors on the inner west community committee will next week discuss a council report featuring a report on the work of the council’s environment team.

The report says staffing levels have ‘remained a challenge’ during the third lockdown period, which have had an impact on some of the council’s services. It says there are currently seven staff – mainly street cleansing – who fall within the Clinically Extremely Vulnerable category and have continued to shield.

A further five staff who have tested positive for COVID since November and there have been 50 cases of self-isolation, which has affected both street cleansing operations and enforcement work.

The report said:

“We are monitoring staffing levels and will revise the service offer and priorities as needed to ensure key work can still be maintained.

“These absences – along with the Christmas and New Year period, annual leave and general sickness absence – has resulted in some work not being able to be completed as often, such as manual litter picking in and around the estates.

“The recent snow and icy conditions also had a slight impact on this work.”

The Inner West Community Committee covers three council wards: Armley, Bramley & Stanningley and Kirkstall. It meets next Tuesday, 16 March, at 6pm and will be streamed live.

The council report and agenda can be read in full here.