Cleansing & Maintenance

Street Cleansing

The street cleansing operation uses a purpose-designed cigarette butt collector, plus the powerful Schmidt HotJet, which has amazed CV One, English Landscapes and local businesses by its ability to jet wash ground-in chewing gum from the streets and pavements, as well as shift detritus from fast food restaurants and return flagstones to their original, unblemished colour.

Now this headline machine makes a difference that is seen by everybody – shoppers, visitors and, most importantly, the businesses that fund the BID scheme.

Starting work at about 5am, the HotJet can be out until 11pm, operating seven days a week with a 24-hours a day call-out, which means we are available for clearing up after road accidents as well as the occasions when there are fights, people being sick and other incidents that result in mess or staining on the pavements and walkways.

A total of 35 English Landscapes employees work on the CV One contract, each capable of switching between street cleansing duties and grounds maintenance, and four have been trained to drive and operate the HotJet.

Chewing Gum Removal

As part of the continued improvements aimed at cleansing issues in the City Centre, CVOne has taken extra steps to provide the City with a brand new chewing gum removal machine, along with an attached generator and trailer. The Miraclean 1 is the latest in street cleansing technology, and operates by mixing water and a citrus based solution to remove fixed on chewing gum from the streets of Coventry.

The unit is designed to alleviate the problems faced with sticky issues on our pavements, and by utilising the very best in environmental and biodegradable substances; the Miraclean 1 turns the stain into a pliable material, and disintegrates it. By adopting an attached lance, with a bronze or polypropylene brush which disperses a small hint of steam, it allows the operator to remove any form of gum in heavy footfall areas.

The Miraclean 1 is a benchmark in leading environmental quality, and is famous for its low energy, pressure reduction performance to aid even the toughest stains. There is no huge run off of water either, and is completely community friendly.

Gum Targets

CV One, in conjunction with Coventry County Council, has embarked upon a unique approach to gum litter prevention through the use of Gum Targets, which aim to eradicate the damage to the environment which gum vandalism causes in the city.

The Gum Target is a specialist disposal device that fixes to posts, walls and railings and is covered with a printed, removable Gum Sheet on which the chewer deposits used gum.

These Gum Sheets carry a campaign of messages that change regularly to maintain interest and motivate the user to dispose responsibly.

Unlike a bin, which offers no real incentive; the Gum Target captures the attention of the chewer and provides topical, fun and involving ways to dispose of your used gum.

Grounds Maintenance & Permanent Landscaping

Tired plastic planters are being replaced with new wooden ones all over the city centre, about 400 new wooden barrels for plants have been installed and hanging baskets now decorate the streets.

New landscaping also takes place wherever possible - In the city centre Meschedes Way, a gap site located between office buildings was in need of low maintenance landscaping. The area was turfed and five wooden planters were added containing ornamental trees (acers) to add colour and lift the area.

The city’s monuments undergo deep cleansing in order to revive each one back to its former glory. The cleaning uses a natural, water-soluble compound to remove grime and oxidisation from the delicate copper surface of a monument such as Lady Godiva, the removal of city grime from stonework such as The Coventry Martyrs’ Memorial it can also erase graffiti and chewing gum.

Because each statue is so sensitive we ensure that the most effective applications are used to clean thoroughly but don’t damage the delicate substrates so these monuments can be enjoyed for many more years to come.

Street Furniture

Maintenance of street furniture, litter bins etc takes place all year round in the city centre, such as this renovated area at the back of Browns bar and restaurant.

Five 'talking' CCTV units have been installed across the city centre that have security cameras fitted with speakers. They are used to direct warnings against people acting in a nuisance way e.g damaging benches with skate boards.

Street furniture in the city, such as lamp posts and junction boxes, is coated in a special textured anti-fly posting paint to prevent fly posting.

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