Major Crackdown Begins on Littering and Fly-tipping in Reading
- Five new environmental enforcement officers will patrol Reading's streets to counter littering and fly-tipping
- New partnership a response to resident feedback that litter is one of their top issues
A MAJOR crackdown on the littering and fly-tipping which blights communities in parts of Reading begins next week.
From Monday 15 September, a dedicated team of five environmental enforcement officers will be walking the streets of Reading - initially on weekdays, but rising to 7 days a week and public holidays.
The team will focus on the town centre and hot spots around Reading where littering and fly-tipping are most prevalent, including issuing fixed penalty notices (FPN’s) where necessary.
The officers will be easily identifiable to the public in branded uniforms and record interactions on body-worn cameras. FPNs will be issued by the partner in compliance with the Council’s own enforcement policy,
The crackdown is in response to the Council’s annual residents’ survey which once again confirmed that litter was one of the top issues residents wanted to see tackled. Cleaning up after people who do not properly dispose of their rubbish and litter not only costs the local council tax payer a significant amount of money, but their actions impact on everyone’s quality of life.
The initiative is the result of a new partnership with private company Kingdom Local Authority Support on a one-year trial basis. It comes at no cost to the Council, with the company’s contract paid via a proportion of fixed penalty notices collected. Importantly however, under the agreement, the Council reserves the right to be able to review individual cases where deemed necessary.
The scheme aims to significantly strengthen the work the Council already carries out on tackling environmental offences. Limited resources, however, mean it cannot offer the same level of ‘on street’ enforcement that would be possible by working with an external partner. The partnership also allows the Council’s existing Recycling and Enforcement Team to focus more on in-depth investigations around dumped fly-tipped rubbish, target pro-active prevention projects and engage with residents to help drive up even higher recycling rates around the borough.
As part of its revamped approach to cleaning up Reading, new fine levels came into effect in April this year for a range of offences. This means that now the maximum FPN for littering or graffiti is £500 (from £80), fly-tipping £1,000 (from £400), and the incorrect disposal of household waste £600 (from £400). Reading’s fees had previously not been raised for years and the new fees were agreed in line with Governmental recommended maximum penalties. Whilst early payment options are significantly less, the hope is that this early payment route will encourage offenders to own up and reflect on their actions in future.
Karen Rowland, Lead Councillor for Environmental Services and Community Safety, said:
“This is a bold new Council initiative in direct response to public feedback that residents are sick and tired of the minority who spoil Reading for the majority of people who live in and take pride in our town, doing the right thing with their litter and bulky waste day in and day out.
“The Council annually receives a myriad of complaints about littering and fly tipping from our law-abiding residents. Whilst we work continually to tackle these issues, the onus is on all residents to take responsibility for their own actions and not drop litter or dump rubbish. This includes cigarette butts, which are made of microplastics which pollute the environment and can take years to break down. It also includes fast food wrappings, crisp packets, sweet wrappers and sandwich boxes. We each have a responsibility, even in our fast-paced lives, to deal with our litter and rubbish correctly.
“I hope that this will be a really positive step for Reading and for residents who aspire to live in a cleaner, tidier town. The only people who need be concerned about this change are those who lack respect for our town and drop their litter or fail to correctly dispose of bulky waste.
“Alongside our record investment in road repairs across Reading, this Council will continue to respond to the concerns residents tell us matter to them the most. Tough action on fly-tipping and littering falls into that category and I am pleased to welcome additional enforcement to remind those that need to be reminded that Reading is a united community that takes pride in our town.”
John Roberts, Chief Services Officer at Kingdom LAS, said:
“We are pleased to be working with Reading Borough Council to support their efforts in tackling littering and fly-tipping across the area. Littering and fly-tipping are becoming more common across England, and our team will help to provide a stronger, robust presence in the community, helping to tackle the issue through education and enforcement.”
Residents can do their bit to help by reporting littering, fly-tipping and other waste-related issues such as full bins via: