Success for Derby City Council at APSE Awards 2023
Published: 20 September 2023
The APSE awards are designed to recognise excellence in local government frontline services across the UK.
Derby City Council has won an award for the Best Innovation or Demand Management Initiative at the Association for Public Service Excellence (APSE) Awards.
The Streetpride team’s work installing sensors on bins caught the eye of the judges. The new technology was rolled out in parks, streets and open spaces around Derby to reduce overflowing litter bins and manage collections more efficiently.
The predictive ‘fill-level’ sensor technology was initially trialed in 200 litter bins on Derby’s streets and reduced collections by 53%. The bins that were part of the trial were in areas where the routine cleansing was once every few weeks, so they relied on an enhanced collection.
The trial reduced the number of overflowing bin complaints and transformed the collection rounds' efficiency. The technology has allowed for routes to be fully optimised, detailing the order each bin should be emptied and the route the operatives should take from site to site, cutting out unnecessary trips and reducing the DCC’s carbon footprint.
Councillor Nadine Peatfield, Stephen Maffin, Asset Management Technician, Scott McLachlan, Street Cleansing Team Leader and Lee Wheatley, Streetpride Service Manager collected the award at a ceremony in Belfast on Thursday 14 September.
Councill Nadine Peatfield, Deputy Leader of Derby City Council, said:
We are delighted to have won the award for Best Innovation or Demand Management Initiative. Everyone at Derby City Council works to improve and deliver excellent services to the city and to the people who work and live here.
Despite the huge government funding cuts, at Derby City Council we still strive to deliver the best possible services that we can to the city. This award is a testament to the hard work of our Streetpride team, delivering the best outcomes for Derby in difficult financial circumstances.
We were finalists in 3 other categories including Best Overall Council of the Year and while we didn’t win them all, making it onto the shortlist is a fantastic achievement.”
The APSE awards are designed to recognise excellence in local government frontline services across the UK. They showcase the very best examples of service provision, new initiatives and personal commitment.