COUNCIL chiefs say that York's new Street Scene service is already making a big impact - only a few weeks into its launch.

City of York Council staff have received many compliments on the new service and their response to complaints has improved.

The new Rapid Response Unit is up and running, responding to calls from the public and tackling "trouble spots".

They say that whilst there is still a great deal to do, standards look set to improve further as the whole service develops.

The service has been taking on big jobs as well as day-to-day maintenance.

The Museum Garden toilets have been re-landscaped, all shrubs and hedges have been removed and the area has been regraded, and gravelled, to aid cleansing of the area.

All radial roads and A1237 have recently had main initial litter removal work completed. Work is now going on to establish a schedule of litter removal and begin to identify the "hotspots" that require additional attention.

Derek Smallwood, executive member for planning and the

environment, said: "The new service has really hit the ground running. I am thrilled we have had such a positive response from the public, although, of course, some

problems persist and we must not be complacent. I know everyone in York will be watching to see if standards continue to improve.

"Results so far show we were right to introduce this new service, but above all I want to congratulate staff for their hard work which is really paying off."

Updated: 09:33 Thursday, April 24, 2003