CLEANING budgets are to be increased by tens of thousands of pounds as part of BCP Council’s pledge to “restore pride” in the conurbation.

This was listed by councillor Drew Mellor has his top priority following his election as leader last month.

He said his proposals would "level up" services across the three towns and "maximise positivity and pride".

More than two-thirds of the £365,000 allocated by the new Conservative administration for its “100-day plan” priorities, drawn-up following its takeover in October, are aimed at town centres.

Speaking to the Local Democracy Reporting Service following his election as leader in October, Cllr Mellor said he wanted the public to see a “noticeable difference in the safety and cleanliness” of the conurbation within the first 100 days of his leadership.

Among measures included in his plan are more than £50,000 to ramp up street and pavement cleaning in Christchurch, £40,000 to provide rough sleepers with lockers and £46,500 for a new anti-social behaviour and CCTV upgrade strategy.

Others include:

Almost £50,000 to bring back a budget for six street cleaning staff,

£12,500 for a pilot Bournemouth “town team” aimed at “improving visitors’ experiences”,

£24,000 to cover empty shop windows in Bournemouth and Poole,

An outsourced fly-tipping investigation and enforcement service – through which the council will take a five per cent share of fines,

And £30,000 to fund the creation of a Christchurch regeneration strategy.

These are all outlined in a budget monitoring report which will be considered by the council’s cabinet later this month.

“The new administration has clear ambitions to improve the pride in our place, focusing on the role of the council and other partners,” it says.

“The emphasis is on anti-social behaviour, community safety and street cleansing. This year has seen significant challenges across these areas.”

Cabinet members will be asked to approve the projects, totalling just under £365,000, when they meet on December 16.

Cllr Mellor said the funding was "just the start" of its work.

"Our regeneration plans to deliver homes, boost the economy and improve the prospects of those who live here are underway, and are ambitious," he said.

"They will take time to come to fruition and in the meantime we must get the basics right. This is what this initial budget allocation is all about – the first step to making this amazing place even more special.”

Other priorities include a £10,000 tree planting programme and £50,000 to hire a mental health worker for the council’s social services departments.