Street cleaning and waste management giant Veolia has agreed to take action after three London boroughs complained about standards of service.

Croydon, Merton and Sutton LBCs served the firm with service improvement notices following concerns over street cleaning, waste and recycling collections and delivery of waste and recycling containers.

Merton said it had issued the notice following ‘significant and ongoing concerns' over the quality of street cleaning services in the borough. 

Cabinet member Natasha Irons said: ‘Over a sustained period of time, Veolia has consistently failed to meet its contractual obligations and we are not afraid to take action to drive much-needed improvement

‘The council has demonstrated its commitment to clean streets through investment in new mechanical sweepers and pavement washer equipment.

'Veolia must now match this commitment by addressing its underperformance and our concerns.'

Croydon cabinet member Muhammad Ali said the council's notice had been served on Veolia for poor performance, adding: ‘We appreciate the workforce pressures they have previously cited as a factor but must see urgent improvement to this core service across the board.'

The three councils, together with Kingston LBC, are members of the South London Waste Partnership, which manages the contracts.

A partnership spokesperson said Veolia had responded to the service improvement notices by providing improvement plans and was working with the boroughs to address the service issues raised.