Saint-Josse steps in to clean up Schaerbeek streets that waste collectors will no longer visit

After Brussels’ waste collection agency suspended its work in parts of Schaerbeek following attacks on its staff, the municipality of Saint-Josse-ten-Noode has decided to hire a private cleanliness team to tackle the affected streets, most of which are in the Brabant neighbourhood.

Bruxelles Propreté has not visited the neighbourhood for two months now due to a lack of safety, Bruzz reports.

Some small parts of affected streets fall within the borders of Saint-Josse-ten-Noode, where mayor Emir Kir said a private firm would work four days a week on the whole of the streets, including those that fall within the bounds of Schaerbeek.

“Bruxelles Propreté says it is staying away because of security problems – I don't understand that,” Kir said.

“Safety is a problem for everyone. If everyone looks away, it means the bankruptcy of our society. I hope the next government will find a solution.”

In the meantime, the municipality of Schaerbeek has said it will send Bruxelles Propreté an invoice for its use of private cleaning firms - an estimated €370,000 so far.

“That budget was not initially expected,” said Schaerbeek’s cleanliness alderwoman Deborah Lorenzino. “Normally, these costs are for Bruxelles Propreté. That's why we’re going to send the invoice.”

Lorenzino does not rule out that the municipality will have to release further funds for the cleaning of the Brabant neighbourhood by September, which is the end-date for the private services scheduled and paid for so far.

Bruxelles Propreté confirmed that talks regarding a solution are ongoing with the municipality of Schaerbeek, though Lorenzino would not comment on those.

“It’s certainly not the easiest neighbourhood to work in, we're not going to lie about that,” Lorenzino said.

“But the other workers who have to work in public spaces here don’t cite the same problems. We’re now working on a framework to provide security for Bruxelles Propreté workers so that they can return.”

One potential solution could be work hours. The private firm's workers currently start cleaning two hours later than Bruxelles Propreté did.

“Then it’s already a very different world here – that's when the commuters come out of the station and there are a lot more people, and therefore more social control on the streets,” said Geert Pierre, deputy director of Schaerbeek's cleanliness department.

“We have to call a spade a spade. Saint-Josse has 86 metres to sweep up and you can free up staff for that. The section that has not been swept in Schaerbeek is two kilometres long. If we start cleaning that ourselves, it will be at the expense of other streets for which we are responsible.”