Agenda item

To receive update on fly tipping in the District, including the policy, how many fines have been given out, collection rate, percentage write offs, enforcement and prosecutions.

The Committee received the report of the Head of Commissioning, Contracts and Procurement which asked Members to note its content.

Officers explained that fly tipping was national problem in many communities, and whilst the Council had a responsibility to remove waste from public land it also had enforcement powers to take a proportionate response where evidence of the perpetrator was found.

Members noted that the Council had approved the introduction of a system of fixed penalty notices (FPN’s) at a meeting of the Executive on 5December 2019. The introduction of the system had involved an extensive communications campaign during January to March 2020 with full implementation commencing in April 2020, although some FPN’s were issued from January to end of March 2020. The level of fine was set at the maximum of £400 with a 25% reduction for early payment. Prior to the introduction, the Council was limited to issuing warning letters, littering FPN’s with a maximum penalty of £50 or legal action via the court system.

Officers also stated that the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA) had published their Fly Tipping Statistics for England, 2019/20 on 24February 2021. This document provided national context of fly tipping statistics and enforcement by Local Authorities and was appended to the report.

Members expressed their disappointment at the levels of fly tipping in the district, despite the community litter picks that the Council could provide kit for (which were currently halted due to Covid-19) and its monitoring of fly tipping hot spots. Officers explained that the FPNs covered both littering and dog fouling.

The Committee asked for clarification on some of the figures set out in the report and expressed further concerns about the low levels of prosecution for fly tipping and associated offences. Some Members felt very strongly that those caught fly tipping or littering should be taken to court, as FPNs did not make an example of those caught for such offences.

Members queried why CCTV cameras that were set up to monitor areas for fly tipping were not more covert; Officers explained that the Council had to put up signs to notify the public that there were cameras, and that the issues experienced with fly tipping were identifiable across the region. Some areas such as the sides of high-speed roads were particularly bad. It was suggested that more cameras should be purchased for a wider area to be monitored, and that the approach of other local authorities be examined for comparison.

The Committee asked Officers to provide some additional information as to how much litter picking was being done outside of built-up areas, in particular on high-speed roads, and that it be shared with Members, as numerous complaints were received about it from the public. Some Members felt that more resources may have to be allocated in order to tackle the problem to an appropriate level.

Officers explained that some companies, such as McDonalds, undertook community litter picks and provided extra bins in order to cater for their rubbish. The Committee agreed that this should be encouraged throughout the area.

The Chair acknowledged that Members had expressed a general dissatisfaction with the tackling of litter and fly tipping in the district; it was a constant cross-party issue and as such it was suggested that the Committee should investigate the matter in more detail. Officers were asked to come back with more information around what additional resources may be needed, how to improve performance, what engagement with local businesses there was, the general education of the population in the district about fly tipping and littering and the provision of cameras.

Officers confirmed that they would take away the issues that Members had raised and gather further data and information, and report back to the Committee in approximately three months.

RESOLVED:

To ask Officers to report back to the Committee in approximately three months (in the 2021-22 municipal year) with more detail on fly tipping and littering in the district, in particular:

·         clarification of figures set out in the report;

·         how much litter picking was being done outside of built up areas, i.e. high speed roads;

·         if additional resources were needed, and if so, the quantity thereof;

·         engagement with local businesses;

·         general education of the population; and

·         the provision of cameras.