London's pavements are cluttered with waste & recycling bags. They block the movement of pedestrians and detracts from the experience our high streets. Missed collections are common. Pick-up times are not conducive to business. Waste collection vehicles are congesting our streets & adding to poor air quality. Liquid from spilled waste is making our streets filthy. Too much time and money is being spent cleaning pavements. The opportunity is to handle waste differently.

What we'll deliver:

• Elimination of kerbside collection of waste & recycling.

Why it's a great idea:

The experience of Jermyn Street, and other high streets in the West End & London overall is being undermined by waste & recycling bags on the pavements. The practice of on-street collection is archaic.

This funding provides the opportunity to dramatically de-clutter pavements though new approaches in the handling of waste & recycling.

In turn, the public's experience of the high streets will be enhanced. The routing of waste collection vehicles will organised to reduce road congestion and vehicle emissions. And streets will be cleaner. Businesses and the public stand to benefit.

Steps to get it done:

• Cover the incremental cost of the new service through the upcoming Property Owner Businesss Improvement District.
• Identify alternative areas for storing waste & recycling - whether inside properties or through service lanes.
• Implement a preferred supplier scheme with two waste & recyling providers who meet project objectives.
• Negiotiate the use of nearby facilities in larger properties that have the capacity to handle neighbouring waste.

With respect to project roll-out, Jermyn Street has been identified as the first area for implementing these new approaches. A new public realm improvement scheme is being developed which provides momentum for rethinking how the street is serviced and to establish the right balance between road space and pavement space.

Other nearby zones within the area served by the Heart of London Business Alliance are to follow after, each with their own bespoke approach. The following is the sequencing:

-Jermyn Street
-Haymarket/Regent Street St. James's
-Piccadilly
-Piccadilly Circus/Shaftesbury Ave/Coventry Street
-Leicester Square
-Whitcomb/Panton Vicinity

(Please see image provided of each zone).