Cracking down in the battle against fly-tipping
Gateshead Council has a new tool to use to clamp down on residents in central Gateshead who persistently dump waste and fly tip in back lanes.
The council is using a Community Protection Warning, an enforcement tool available under the Anti-social Behaviour, Crime and Policing Act 2014, to notify residents that action may be taken against them if they continue to fail to dispose of their waste correctly.
A pilot has taken place over the last two weeks in the back lane that separates Whitehall Road and Saltwell Street in the Re-designated Landlord Licensing Area in Saltwell. In this area, licensing officers have noted an abundance of fly tipping or large items, strewn rubbish and rubble and left out/overflowing bins on a weekly basis, even though the lane is regularly cleansed and cleared by the council's waste services teams.
Residents in the area were written to in advance to set out the behaviour that is causing the problem and the action that will be taken. Enforcement action will be taken against those who don't comply.
In advance of the Community Protection Warning, the back lane was swept and cleansed so that the council could closely monitor future issues and easily identify them and their potential source. The lane was visited on a daily basis, especially the day of and after bin collection, to monitor compliance with the requirements of the warning.
The lane was left upswept and uncleansed so that the possible root cause of the problems and potentially the households and individuals involved can be identified. Anyone found to be in breach of the requirements of the warning may be served with a Community Protection Notice (CPN) which could mean fines of £100, prosecution or a court order.
The council are also imposing seven new licence conditions on landlords in the area - these include ensuring that tenants have the correct number of waste bins and that yards and gardens are clear of any waste when their tenancies start. Making sure that tenants know their responsibilities about their waste and when their bin days are and keeping their gardens and yards clean and tidy. They also need to respond reasonably and effectively to any complaints.
Councillor John Adams, Gateshead Council's cabinet member for housing said: "This pilot area is in a selective landlord licensing area and the council are already working closely with landlords and tenants to highlight the role that both parties have in disposing of waste responsibly and legally. Despite our efforts in some areas, many problems and behaviours persist in relation to waste including an increase in arson related incidents involving discarded bins.
"We are anticipating that this formal approach and the threat of potential consequences may encourage residents to behave more appropriately and dispose of their waste in the correct way, resulting in visual improvements to the back lane. We hope that responsible residents who are already behaving responsibly when it comes to waste will not see this as too onerous and will welcome the firmer stance.
"There is no excuse for littering the environment with household waste. It is illegal and it's not fair and has a detrimental impact on the quality of life for other residents. It's never acceptable and I've asked our licensing officers not to hesitate to take enforcement action if it is found necessary and appropriate."
Licensing officers have door knocked all the properties to advise them that this activity will be taking place, all households that they have spoken to, around 80%, welcomed the intervention.
Gateshead Council has a new tool to use to clamp down on residents in central Gateshead who persistently dump waste and fly tip in back lanes.
The council is using a Community Protection Warning, an enforcement tool available under the Anti-social Behaviour, Crime and Policing Act 2014, to notify residents that action may be taken against them if they continue to fail to dispose of their waste correctly.
A pilot has taken place over the last two weeks in the back lane that separates Whitehall Road and Saltwell Street in the Re-designated Landlord Licensing Area in Saltwell. In this area, licensing officers have noted an abundance of fly tipping or large items, strewn rubbish and rubble and left out/overflowing bins on a weekly basis, even though the lane is regularly cleansed and cleared by the council's waste services teams.
Residents in the area were written to in advance to set out the behaviour that is causing the problem and the action that will be taken. Enforcement action will be taken against those who don't comply.
In advance of the Community Protection Warning, the back lane was swept and cleansed so that the council could closely monitor future issues and easily identify them and their potential source. The lane was visited on a daily basis, especially the day of and after bin collection, to monitor compliance with the requirements of the warning.
The lane was left upswept and uncleansed so that the possible root cause of the problems and potentially the households and individuals involved can be identified. Anyone found to be in breach of the requirements of the warning may be served with a Community Protection Notice (CPN) which could mean fines of £100, prosecution or a court order.
The council are also imposing seven new licence conditions on landlords in the area - these include ensuring that tenants have the correct number of waste bins and that yards and gardens are clear of any waste when their tenancies start. Making sure that tenants know their responsibilities about their waste and when their bin days are and keeping their gardens and yards clean and tidy. They also need to respond reasonably and effectively to any complaints.
Councillor John Adams, Gateshead Council's cabinet member for housing said: "This pilot area is in a selective landlord licensing area and the council are already working closely with landlords and tenants to highlight the role that both parties have in disposing of waste responsibly and legally. Despite our efforts in some areas, many problems and behaviours persist in relation to waste including an increase in arson related incidents involving discarded bins.
"We are anticipating that this formal approach and the threat of potential consequences may encourage residents to behave more appropriately and dispose of their waste in the correct way, resulting in visual improvements to the back lane. We hope that responsible residents who are already behaving responsibly when it comes to waste will not see this as too onerous and will welcome the firmer stance.
"There is no excuse for littering the environment with household waste. It is illegal and it's not fair and has a detrimental impact on the quality of life for other residents. It's never acceptable and I've asked our licensing officers not to hesitate to take enforcement action if it is found necessary and appropriate."
Licensing officers have door knocked all the properties to advise them that this activity will be taking place, all households that they have spoken to, around 80%, welcomed the intervention.
