Ealing Council's mission to spruce up the borough moved a step closer this week when its cabinet gave the green light to the Showcase Streets programme.

The initiative, one of the core manifesto pledges of the council's new leadership, aims to dramatically improve neighbourhoods by giving them a coordinated make-over.

Under the Showcase Streets scheme, the council will repair badly damaged pavements, replace old street signs, repair, clean and paint street lights and street furniture. To improve the appearance of roads the council will also carry out blitzes to remove rubbish and graffiti and plant flowers and shrubs.

The scheme will initially be rolled out in four areas including The Wesley Estate, Acton and Little Ealing, South Ealing. The council has allocated £250,000 to pay for these first four upgrades.

Work is scheduled to start in September 2006 and will be done on a rolling basis with all due to be completed by the end of March 2007.  Cllr Will Brooks, cabinet member for environment and transport, said "Ask local people what they want from the council and most will tell you clean, tidy and safe streets.

"Our Showcase Streets programme has been designed as part of a multi-million pound borough-wide environmental investment programme to restore our reputation as Queen of the Suburbs. It aims to both transform the way neighbourhoods look and change people's attitudes by restoring a sense of pride in our community.

"We believe that by concentrating our efforts to radically improve the appearance and safety of an area we are more likely to make a lasting difference to the way people treat it. When people see how good their neighbourhood can look they are more likely to work with us to maintain high standards and report any problems promptly."

July 28, 2006