Crawley residents should benefit from an extra £60,000 spent on cleaning their streets.

Crawley Borough Council plans to employ more street cleaners and have extra clean-up campaigns.

It also aims to spend £150,000 on cutting crime by increasing the number of the community wardens in the town.

The authority currently employs six wardens who work full-time in the community and aims to add another four to the scheme.

The increases will be partly funded by a £900,000 grant to be given to the council by the Government.

Under a new system, Crawley has been awarded the cash after being recognised as facing similar problems of social deprivation to London boroughs and big cities.

Councillor Chris Redmayne said: "Consultations throughout the year show community safety and clean streets are key priorities for residents.

"The investment in the community warden scheme will help tackle community safety issues and keep our neighbourhoods clean and green."

Mr Redmayne said he was keen to let residents know how the money would be spent.

The Government grant, which is bigger than the council expected, does not mean a freeze in council tax rates.

The council aims to increase its section of the council tax bill by an average of £12 a year, or 22p a week, to £136.80.

Together with charges from West Sussex County Council and Sussex Police, this would bring the total council tax charge for an average band C house in Crawley to £987.52 a year.

Coun Redmayne said the extra council tax money would be put into schemes people had requested in the town.

He said: "As well as working with the police to cut crime and make the streets cleaner we want to improve our red box recycling scheme.

"We're also tackling some very tough issues like homelessness.

"This national problem has hit Crawley hard over the past year and we must do more to help some of the most vulnerable people in our community."

He said the council had also managed to save about £700,000 for 2003/04, including £100,000 through centralising its purchase of items such as stationery, leaflets, and staff mobile phones.

Coun Redmayne said: "The savings we have made, combined with the improved grant allocation from central government, means the increase for the average household in Crawley can be kept at 22p per week.

"This budget means we can continue to focus our services on what local people want and make sure Crawley continues to thrive."

Crawley Borough Council will debate the £12 proposed increase at a full council meeting on Wednesday. The new council tax charges will come into effect in April.