Blackpool Street Cleansing Team Wins Prestigious APSE Award & Up for A Keep Britain Tidy Award

We are delighted to announce that our Street Cleansing team has been recognised as the Best Improved Performer at the 2025 APSE (Association for Public Service Excellence) Awards, held on 4 December at the Village Hotel.

The accolade celebrates outstanding progress in service delivery and performance improvement among local authority cleaning services across the UK. The team were joined at the awards ceremony by Cllr Adrian Hoyle, Chair, who shared in celebrating this significant achievement.

APSE is a leading UK body that benchmarks and recognises excellence in frontline public services, using robust performance data to highlight the best and most improved authorities nationally. The Best Improved Performer award reflects measurable gains in service quality, operational efficiency and community impact over the past year.

In addition to this win, the Street Cleansing service is shortlisted for the Keep Britain Tidy Outstanding Service Award. This award celebrates teams that have improved service quality and enhanced the local environment despite ongoing pressures and challenges. Network Awards from Keep Britain Tidy highlight excellence in environmental improvement and frontline service delivery across eight categories, including Outstanding Service.
The team’s commitment to tackling environmental crime has also delivered positive outcomes in enforcement. In a recent case at Blackburn Magistrates’ Court, an individual pleaded guilty to illegal dumping of household rubbish.

The court imposed the following:

  • £120 fine
  • £100 court costs
  • £48 victim surcharge

Illegal dumping remains a major issue nationally – local authorities in England dealt with 1.15 million fly-tipping incidents in 2023/24, with household waste accounting for around 60% of cases. Fly-tipping costs the economy over £1 billion annually and remains a top priority for environmental services teams nationwide.

Enveco’s Chair, Cllr Adrian Hoyle, Said:

“To win this APSE award is a proud moment for our Street Cleansing team. It reflects their dedication, hard work and innovation in keeping Blackpool clean and welcoming. Being shortlisted for the Keep Britain Tidy Outstanding Service Award further underlines their commitment to excellence. Together with our enforcement successes, we are making a real difference to our streets and communities.”