Cleaner Communities Service Standards

The service frequencies by zone and service type (e.g. manual sweeping, mechanical sweeping, litter picking, and fly-tipping response) are outlined in the following section.

Cleaner Communities Service Standards - Cleaner Communities Service Standards (PDF, 2 MB)(opens new window)

Zone / Category		Zone Summary / Remarks	Litter Picking	Road Sweeper (Compact)	Road Sweeper (HGV)
1	Town/ Village Centre	This would include areas of high footfall associated with educational establishments.	Weekly x3	Monthly	N/A
2	Residential high density	Terraced, tenement and flatted housing	Fortnightly	Quarterly	N/A
3	Residential low density	Detached and semi- detached housing	Fortnightly	Quarterly	N/A
4	Areas not falling into zones 1-3	Dependant on Operational knowledge specific to the area concerned	N/A	N/A	12 Months (Minimum of)
5	Amenity Beaches	Not applicable to West Lothian Council	N/A	N/A	N/A
6	Motorways	Not maintained by West Lothian Council	N/A	N/A	N/A
7	Rural roads and verges	These areas have specific health and safety requirements to ensure safe operation	Annually x3	N/A	As necessary

Litter Prevention Action Plan (LPAP) 2026-27

Litter Bin Standards

West Lothian Council litter bin standards have been developed to provide more suitably designed general waste bins in targeted locations and recycling of litter and litter bin waste within West Lothian. This supersedes the Street Litter Bin Policy approved in 2021 and is also contained within the LPAP.

The use of pole-mounted litter bins, open top litter bins and dedicated dog waste bins have been discontinued. All new bins purchased meet a set of criteria which ensures they are fit for purpose, cost effective and help to reduce littering.

Litter Bin Specification:

Minimum capacity of 120 litres
be of closed top design
be free-standing
be dual purpose to collect litter and dog fouling
include cigarette disposal points
be provided in a standard colour scheme
have West Lothian Council iconography and clear signage
be of durable construction and design

Suitability & Location:

Bins should only be provided in areas which meet the siting criteria and where they will have a positive impact on littering levels and street cleanliness. Litter bins should be located in the following areas

Outside main transport interchanges (train stations, car parks taxi ranks and active travel hubs)
Outside schools and colleges
Near fast food and convenience stores
Entrances and exits to parks and open spaces
Within West Lothian's three Country Parks
Outside public and government buildings (health centres, dentists, libraries, churches etc)
At public seating areas where there is ongoing evidence of littering issues
Open spaces/grassed areas where dog walking is likely to occur
Areas where people are likely to queue, for example, public toilets, ATMs
Situated at entrances/ exits within cemeteries and memorial gardens

Note: Types and frequencies differ within parks and cemeteries depending on site and need.

Solar & Compact Bins

Following trials in 2021 74 solar Compactor Bins were purchased utilising COVID recovery funding and deployed across the council area. As of 2025 and into 2026 as part of the Litter Prevention Action Plan (LPAP) a review of the targeted locations will be undertaken to ensure that we are gaining full use of the compacting capacity in each bin and where there is low usage look to re- locate still within the ward area.

Fixed Penalty Notices Report

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Cleaner Communities Service Standards