Waterloo Quarter has recently tendered a 'hot-washing' service in the BID area to rid the streets of build-ups of grease, grime and gum. The service will comprise an annual clean of all streets in the area, with an additional 6 monthly service of the most heavily trafficked areas - The Cut, Lower Marsh and the northern section of Waterloo Road.

This is not a service that is included in the Councils' baseline provision and was a commitment in the BID Proposal (February 2008) that will provide a significant additional benefit to businesses in the Waterloo area. The service relies on high temperatures to remove grime as well as chewing gum and is not the sort of high-pressure washing that can cause the grouting between paving slabs to break up.

The service is scheduled to start in early October and will take place predominantly overnight using a quiet, electric machine to avoid disruption to residents and businesses.

We are also investigating pre-treatment products that can seal the surface of paving slabs, thereby increasing the effectiveness of future cleans and reducing the need for such a frequent service in future.