RESIDENTS in Oxford are still worried about fly tipping, rubbish and litter despite an 18-month council campaign to clear up their streets.

Blackbird Leys was the original focus of Oxford City Council’s Cleaner Greener campaign, launched in 2009. Backed by the Oxford Mail, it aimed to clean-up city streets.

But initial results of a survey of residents show the majority are still concerned about “levels of cleanliness in their neighbourhoods”.

But the councillor leading the campaign, John Tanner, said the findings did not represent a failure.

He said: “Thankfully, people’s standards are rising as far as cleanliness is concerned.

“I am glad the people in Blackbird Leys are saying the campaign was good but we want more.

“I would be very surprised if people were completely happy.”

He said the council would work with residents and community groups to take the campaign forward and added: “The next stage is going to be quite a big clean up of shared houses where rubbish is left out front and people don’t play the game."

Mr Tanner said the council’s commitment to cleaning up the city was shown by the fact it had maintained street cleaning and rubbish collection budgets at a time when other areas were suffering cut- backs.

The review of the campaign’s effectiveness in Blackbird Leys was instigated by the council communities and partnership scrutiny committee and is due to be completed this summer.

A review panel has been set up and residents given questionnaires to complete.

Full results of that survey have not yet been released but the council said initial analysis showed that concern was still high.

The report stated: “Responses to the questionnaire and doorstep visits have been very mixed so far with the majority of residents still remaining concerned about the levels of cleanliness in their neighbourhoods.

Specific issues mentioned are issues with bin collection and storage particularly in flats and maisonettes.”

In 2010, the campaign moved to East Oxford.

BMW worker Zahid Mahmood, 46, from Donnington Road said: “There maybe more litter around in fact, particularly on the Cowley Road itself.”

Abdul Khan, 65, who works at Al-Amin food store in Cowley Road, said: “ It has become cleaner since last year. The council do come and clean it all up.”