Litter
Litter is a national plague but in this borough we are doing something about it. Read about what we are doing and how you can help.
Report a problem
You can fill in an online form to report a problem with the following issues:
- report an abandoned car
- report unswept streets
- report graffiti
- report flytipping
- report missed bins or recycling collections.
You can also use the clean it forms to report:
- dead animals
- leaf sweeping
- litter bins overflowing
- parks cleaning issues
needles found.
or you can call our Help Line on 01737 276000
Keeping the borough litter free
In our borough we spend over £1 million each year removing 1,407 tonnes of litter from 1,400 streets.
Last year, 90 per cent of our streets were kept predominantly free of litter.
We all want to live and work in an attractive and safe environment, but keeping an area clean is a lot harder than it might appear.
We will ensure that all litter bins in our town centres are emptied daily and those in other locations before they are three quarters full. If you see a full bin please report it.
Is it a crime to drop litter?
Yes, if it happens in a public place.
It is an offence to drop litter of any kind. The Environmental Protection Act of 1990 (EPA 1990) states that 'if a person drops, throws, deposits, or leaves anything that causes defacement in a public place', they commit an offence of littering.
The average fine is around £95 although a court does have the power to fine someone up to £2,500 (a Level 4 offence on the Standard Scale). Cases are heard in the Magistrates' Court.
Approximately 400 people were prosecuted last year by the police for littering. Alternatively, you can get a £50 fixed penalty fine for littering from a "litter warden".
Flytipping
The Council wants to catch and prosecute flytippers. You can help by telling us if you see an incident of flytipping.Enforcing
New powers have been given to local authorities to clamp down on envirocrime.
The Clean Neighbourhoods and Environment bill gives councils additional legislative powers to combat the scourge of local environmental crimes such as abandoned vehicles, fly-tipping and discarded chewing gum.
But although councils would be able to retain the money generated from fines for offences, the aim is to stop environmental crime happening in the first place.
What can you do?
Put your litter in a bin or take it home with you.
Most of the population voices their disgust at seeing litter in the streets. However, research by ENCAMS (the Keep Britain Tidy campaign group) shows that nearly every adult in the population drops litter in varying degrees.
The most frequently littered items were those that were seen as small and less harmful, such as
- small sweet papers
- apple cores
- cigarette butts and
- chewing gum.
Eighty seven per cent of litter is caused by the public, and all sections of society are contributing.
However, most people do not consider that they are adding to the problem, but blame the following instead:
- Teenagers
- Education in schools
- The council
- Not enough bins
- Bins not emptied frequently enough
- Too much packaging and wrappings
- Not enough prosecutions
- Fines not high enough.
Last updated : 22/03/2013
