Fresh blitz on fly tip and litter menace
With areas across the country seeing an increase in fly tipping and litter post lockdown, Telford & Wrekin Council is getting ready to blitz the menace as part of its summer-long campaign to keep the borough clean and tidy.
Signs are going up in locations across the borough urging people to dispose of their litter responsibly and not be an idiot.
Fly tip signs warning people that fly tipping is a crime and perpetrators risk a Fixed Penalty Notice which could lead to prosecution plus mobile CCTV will also be deployed to key urban and rural hotspots.
As well as the signs and surveillance CCTV, which will be moved around, the Council is also mobilising a new Community Action Team to Woodside in August to tackle issues reported by residents and concerns raised during a recent neighbourhood walkabout, which included clearing weeds and overgrown shrubs in pathways that weave through the estate and fly tipping.
In addition to the scheduled street cleansing and grounds work planned in Woodside for August, crews will undertake additional jobs around the estate. The Council is also looking to involve its volunteer Street Champions to lend a few extra pairs of hands.
Enforcement officers will be out and about throughout the month to focus on fly tipping and other environmental crime concerns.
Recycling and waste contractor Veolia will use the opportunity to raise awareness of what can and can’t be recycled as part of the kerbside collection service and residents will be able to enter a ‘Best Kept Garden’ competition with shopping vouchers for the winners kindly donated by idverde.
Cllr Lee Carter, Telford & Wrekin Council cabinet member for neighbourhood services, said: “Litter and fly tipping is a national issue and one that we are keen to see the back off here. We all want to live in places that are clean and litter-free and we can all do our bit. We have started a series of neighbourhood walkabouts with the aim of understanding the exact nature of the challenge on the ground in each of our neighbourhoods and then co-ordinating our resources and investments to help overcome these challenges.
“We can’t do it alone and will need the support of local residents, town and parish councils and our Street Champions. We’re determined this will make a difference and we’ll be looking to roll out this new Community Action Team approach to other areas.”
Councillor Richard Overton, cabinet member for enforcement, added: “Education is a key part to the enforcement work we do in Telford and Wrekin. However, there will always be a small minority who will persist in offending and in these instances, we will look to enforcement, which would include fines and, in the most serious cases, a court appearance.
“Our key message to residents is that if you play by the rules we are on your side and if you don’t, then expect the consequences.”
Here are some useful links:
What goes in your bins and containers
Advice on using scrap metal collectors
Report grounds maintenance issue
