Love where you live or face tougher consequences
Gateshead is a place everyone should be proud of but those who don't help to love the borough could be in for a shock as councillors are set to double fines for environmental crimes such as fly-tipping, littering and graffiti.
Environmental crimes are bad for local communities - attracting further crime, making people feel less safe and ultimately undermining pride in the area. They also come at a significant cost to Gateshead Council which spends a fortune every year to remove rubbish and clean graffiti.
Councillor John McElroy, Cabinet Member for Environment and Transport, said: "Fly-tipping alone costs the council more than £360,000 a year and that is just for the removal and disposal of the waste. We'd much prefer to spend this money on making improvements to Gateshead.
"For that selfish minority who think they can ruin the local environment for everyone, our message is very clear: we're going to hit you where it hurts - your wallet.
"For the vast majority of people who do look after their local area, thank you for doing your bit. I hope that by taking this action you can see we are serious about making Gateshead a clean and safe place we're all proud of."
Proposals being considered by full Council include:
Increasing fixed penalty notices (FPNs) for fly tipping from businesses from £400 to £1,000
Increasing FPNs for household fly tipping from £400 to £500 (1st offence and £1,000 for subsequent offences)
FPN fines for littering to increase from £100 to £500 for a business or £200 when connected with housing (for the 1st offence, £500 for subsequent offences)
Increasing FPNs for graffiti from £100 to £500
There is also a proposal to remove early repayment arrangements as due to the severity of these crimes, discounts would no longer be offered. Read the full Cabinet report.
Gateshead is a place everyone should be proud of but those who don't help to love the borough could be in for a shock as councillors are set to double fines for environmental crimes such as fly-tipping, littering and graffiti.
Environmental crimes are bad for local communities - attracting further crime, making people feel less safe and ultimately undermining pride in the area. They also come at a significant cost to Gateshead Council which spends a fortune every year to remove rubbish and clean graffiti.
Councillor John McElroy, Cabinet Member for Environment and Transport, said: "Fly-tipping alone costs the council more than £360,000 a year and that is just for the removal and disposal of the waste. We'd much prefer to spend this money on making improvements to Gateshead.
"For that selfish minority who think they can ruin the local environment for everyone, our message is very clear: we're going to hit you where it hurts - your wallet.
"For the vast majority of people who do look after their local area, thank you for doing your bit. I hope that by taking this action you can see we are serious about making Gateshead a clean and safe place we're all proud of."
Proposals being considered by full Council include:
Increasing fixed penalty notices (FPNs) for fly tipping from businesses from £400 to £1,000
Increasing FPNs for household fly tipping from £400 to £500 (1st offence and £1,000 for subsequent offences)
FPN fines for littering to increase from £100 to £500 for a business or £200 when connected with housing (for the 1st offence, £500 for subsequent offences)
Increasing FPNs for graffiti from £100 to £500
There is also a proposal to remove early repayment arrangements as due to the severity of these crimes, discounts would no longer be offered. Read the full Cabinet report.
