CUTS in Wirral’s street cleaning budget has led to litter-strewn shopping centres in parts of the borough, a political leader has claimed.

Liberal Democrat leader Cllr Phil Gilchrist has demanded an overhaul of cleaning arrangements “to sort out the unsightly mess of overflowing litter bins.”

He claimed that since revised plans became operational local shopping centres have been awash with spilt litter at weekends.

Councillor Gilchrist said: “We have spent years encouraging people to take their litter home, or use the bins. Now, if they go to use the bins they are full or overflowing.

“Fortunately some shopping centres have lots of bins so may cope, but there are bins that fill quickly. If they are full the litter blows away or collapses round them.

“There has to be a way of bringing in the team that 'floats' round our busy locations that have become a mess.”

Councillor Gilchrist and fellow Lib Dem member Tom Harney met the council’s strategic director for street cleaning, Joe Blott, last Friday to air their misgivings about the deterioration in the service.

He continued: “Saving £1m out of the £4.5m spent on street cleansing was flagged up in the public consultation last year.

“With the 'new' frequencies starting from 1st July, I set out to find how it was working in practice. I spotted problems with local litter bin emptying and encountered many complaints too.

“A report was put out in the agenda for the Council meeting on 15th July it was about cleansing frequencies - it didn't deal with litter bin emptying.

“Specifically reducing the collections from bins in local shopping centres was not highlighted in the 'option' last year, it was rolled up in the general title of 'street cleansing." 

The report said the initial pilot option would allow for public consultation throughout the six-month research period.

Bureaucrats told Cllr Gilchrist that due to recent changes to street cleansing schedules - as a result of savings in the contract - "secondary" shopping locations were no longer cleaned at weekends.

These areas were cleaned twice during the week, either Monday and Thursday or Tuesday and Friday. This included the emptying of litter bins.

They added that tt the weekend, only three locations have a permanent presence.

These are Birkenhead, Liscard and New Brighton. There are two promenade crews during the summer months (April to September) and one during the winter months (October to March), covering the proms from Seacombe Ferry to West Kirby.