Boston street cleansing team gets 'fantastic' new kit following £64,000 spend at company with surprising Star Wars connection
The team responsible for keeping Boston and its surrounding villages looking their best have some ‘fantastic’ new kit at their disposal, following a £64,000 spend.
Boston Borough Council has purchased an industrial sweeper and two industrial compact vacuums to bolster its street cleansing operation.
The funding for the investment has come from the £21.9m allocated to Boston through the Government’s Town Deal scheme, via a £100,000 contribution from the Healing the High Street project to improve public spaces and buildings in the town centre. The council says it is currently exploring options for how to utilise the remaining funding.
The sweeper and vacuums have been manufactured by Green Machines. The company has a focus on sustainability, and all three devices are fully electric and zero-emission.
The business also has a surprising connection to Star Wars, having had one of its sweepers featured in Episode I: The Phantom Menace due to its sci-fi aesthetic. In the 1999 film, the 400-series model plays the part of a Naboo N-1 Starfighter refueller.
The new kit will be used across the borough. The sweeper is able to brush and collect debris right up to shop fronts and walls, reducing the need for prolonged manual sweeping, the council says.
The vacuums, meanwhile, are ideal for reaching confined spaces and removing items difficult to access by hand, it adds.
Coun Mike Gilbert, deputy leader and portfolio holder for town centre development said: “We are really pleased to have received the funds from Boston Town Board which have enabled us to buy these new machines.
“2030 sees the 400th anniversary of the founding of Boston Massachusetts, an event we want to celebrate here and in the US, Boston needs to ensure it is a town clean, tidy and fit to host a series of national and international events. These machines will help us to achieve that vision.”
Coun Callum Butler, portfolio holder for environmental services at Boston Borough Council, said: “These new machines are a fantastic addition to our street cleansing fleet.
“They not only make the job easier for our operatives but also demonstrate our commitment to sustainability and cleaner, greener streets.
“We hope that residents and visitors alike will notice the difference these machines will bring and give credit to the amazing work our operatives do to make Boston and its surrounding villages shine.”
Claire Foster, interim chairman of Boston Town Board, which oversees the Town Deal project locally, said: “We know from the consultation that we’ve carried out that the appearance and cleanliness of Boston really matters to local people.
“We’re pleased to be able to make this investment which reflects what we’ve heard from the public, and we look forward to seeing the impact the machines will make in the town.”
For more information about the council’s street cleaning service, visit: www.boston.gov.uk/Street-cleaning.