$1.5m cleanup ... and it's grubby again

This footpath on Swanson Street has not stood the test of time. Photo / Dean Purcell

Less than two years after a $1.5 million upgrade to Swanson St, the central Auckland lane is looking the worse for wear with grubby stains and leaching paving stones.

Swanson St, between Queen St and Mills Lane, is part of a 10-year programme to transform the city centre's streets and open spaces into a high-quality urban area.

But instead of creating a more attractive environment, including new paving, lighting, landscaping and pedestrian improvements, the lane has become filthy.

The pavement between a series of seats is grimy, grubby stains are everywhere and iron and lime deposits are leaching through gaps in the paving stones, causing stains.

The area is also popular with smokers and is littered with butts.

The state of Swanson St has been identified only days before Auckland City Mayor John Banks officially opens another central city project - the $9.2 million upgrade of St Patrick's Square.

Auckland City's arts, culture and recreation general manager Jill McPherson refused to comment on the state of Swanson St, which was completed under her watch in February last year.

Dr McPherson and CBD project manager David Jones said extra cleaning had been organised and the council would continue to monitor the situation.

"At the end of the day, it is a working street and we live and walk on it every day," Mr Jones said. "All we can do is try to improve the way people use the street and address, through cleaning, any residuals that people don't take care of."

The council said iron and lime deposits from underground water had leached through the concrete foundation slab and bedding mortar.

The stains could be removed by light acid etching or water blasting. In the case of the lime, it could take months to years to leach away.

Arts, culture and recreation committee chairman Greg Moyle said Swanson St was unsightly and the council needed to keep on top of it and not let it go.