York is a fantastic place to live, work and visit. We all benefit from the superb environment both in the city and in neighbourhood areas. However similar to most councils within the UK we do suffer from relatively small amounts on environmental crime, which can impact negatively on the 'liveability' of our areas. 

We recognise that the delivery of effective and value for money environmental services should result in a cleaner, greener and safer environment which is a priority for our customers and the Council.

This Neighbourhood Pride Services Customer Charter explains what we will aim to do to maintain the environment so that our historic legacy can be preserved for all to enjoy. We aim to maximise the resources that are available to the Council whilst working in partnership with our community as everyone can play their part in keeping our city and neighbourhood areas clear of litter and environmental crime.

Neighbourhood Pride Services consists of the following activities:

• Street Cleansing
• Removal of graffiti, fly-posting, abandoned vehicles and fly-tipping
• Maintenance of parks, flower beds and open spaces
• Environmental enforcement
• Grounds Maintenance
• Refuse and Recycling collections

What we will do:

• We aim to clean and maintain the streets and open spaces as specified by the Environmental Protection Act 1990. This requires us to ensure that, as far as is reasonably possible, public land is kept clear of litter and refuse
• We will empty litter bins to prevent them overfilling and will aim to empty full bins within 2 days of them being reported to the Council's Contact Centre
• We will respond to reports of unacceptable cleanliness in the city or in neighbourhood areas within 24 hours during normal working hours or otherwise where practicable
• We will clean litter "hot spots" on a daily basis and take appropriate enforcement action as required to deter environmental crime
• We will require utility companies to work in partnership with the Council so that environmental crime on their property can be promptly cleaned
• We will work with private landlords and landowners to promote the importance of keeping their areas clean whilst taking action if necessary to enforce the maintenance of property and private land
• We will aim to remove graffiti and fly-posting that is of an obscene or racially abusive nature within 2 days of reporting and all other reported material on public land within 4 working days of notification
• We will aim to remove fly-tipping within 24 hours of it being reported during normal working hours and where practicable at all other times
• We will work with local communities to encourage and empower them to help improve their local environment
• We will thoroughly clean play areas at least monthly and will visit to inspect play surfaces and equipment weekly
• We will maintain green areas, parks and open spaces, keeping them well presented and leaving surrounding pavements free of cuttings
• We will maintain open spaces with a view to protect and promote  biodiversity
• We will collect domestic refuse and recycling materials in line with current Council policies and the frequencies stated on the Council website
• We will provide customer focused facilities for our customers to report concerns about performance and respond promptly in response to their requests
• We will train and encourage all council staff to be more pro-active in reporting incidents
• Our staff will be courteous and helpful at all times
• We will provide value for money efficient services

How you can help:

• Report fly-tipping, vandalism, graffiti, littering etc to the York Pride Action Line at YPAL@york.gov.uk or ring the York Contact Centre on (01904) 551551
• Tell us when you have a concern about what we do by using the York Pride Action Line
• Help us to help you by placing litter, chewing gum, and extinguished cigarette ends in the nearest bin
• If you are a dog owner, please deposit waste in the bins provided
• Put your refuse and recycling out on the correct day
• Let us know when you are happy about the performance we provide
• Fill in our customer surveys and questionnaires