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Walsall Council’s Lib/Lab Coalition carries out pledge to clamp down on litter louts

by Ian Shires on 26 September, 2016

Image result for ian shires litteringA private security firm are being brought in by Walsall Council’s Lib/Lab Coalition to combat litter louts throughout the borough. 

The new initiative which will begin at the end of September will see a team of specialist officers from 3GS handing out on the spot fines of £80 for littering and tackling dog fouling, dog control orders and fly-tipping.

As part of the clampdown on littering overt and covert operations and investigations will also be carried out into incidents of fly-tipping; an on-going issue for Walsall Council, with a number of problem areas already identified.

Officers will be patrolling streets, parks and open spaces throughout the Borough and have legal powers to stop anyone they see committing an environmental crime such as littering and will request their name, address and proof of identity.

Anyone refusing to cooperate with the officers should be aware that it is a criminal offence not to provide such details and they can be prosecuted under Section 8(a) of the Environmental Protection Act 1990, in addition to the original environmental crime.

Image result for willenhall town centre dog foulingFailure to do this will result in criminal prosecution and fine of £1000 (level 3), together with a criminal conviction at the Magistrates’ Court. Footage of alleged offenders who fail to cooperate with officer’s will be shared with the Police and identified offenders will be prosecuted.

Talking about the litter clampdown Councillor Jones portfolio holder for Clean and Green stated: “We want people to understand that littering is a crime and shows a total disregard for the people of Walsall and the borough we live in.

“These new measures will act as a deterrent to anyone who thinks it’s acceptable to commit these types of offences.

LibDem Cllr Ian Shires portfolio holder for the Change Agenda said “When we are being forced by the Westminster Government to slash a further £100 million from our budgets over the next four years the last thing we need is to be shelling out hundreds of thousands of pounds each year to clean up after folk who have no respect for the place in which they live.”

Paul Buttivant, Managing Director of 3GS the environmental services business appointed to enforce this new regime said “We are extremely pleased to be working in partnership with Walsall Council. We’d like to reassure the community that only those who choose to ignore the law will be dealt with by our officers by way of a Fixed Penalty Notice.”

 

   4 Comments

4 Responses

  1. harry constable says:

    Seeing is believing !, I very much doubt if anyone in Willenhall will be prosecuted (assuming the officers come to willenhall !) Lets all look out for people being prosecuted ? .Are they being paid for out of the fines cos thats the only way to make litterers get prosecuted ! ( It will be the same as willenhall railway station ? never in my lifetime !). Ps I pick up litter every day in my street and tell people they have accidentally dropped litter to show them up !

    • Ian Shires says:

      The new system does not start till beginning of October. the new Administration only took over in June. Considering the Tories had virtually wiped out any chance of enforcement with their piecemeal approach to cutting budgets. Give us a chance H. It takes time to turn a ship round….

  2. Simon says:

    I have mentioned this on Facebook. It is a very very wrong move. I have followed this for a good while.

    There are hundreds of complaints about these companies. Especially using bullying tactics and not carrying out the correct rules and procedures. Such as people accidentally dropping things and not given a chance to correct anything, when the rules state they should also cases of false entrapment at cash machines.

    Other articles read about councils making a £3000 loss.

    Littering, the genuine litter droppers have no pride and have no care. That I am against but it is the many innocent perhaps vulnerable people that could be an easy target.

    http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-3334402/Beware-litter-Stasi-new-scourge-High-Street-hired-councils-fine-80-dropping-shop-receipt-cherry-stone.html

    • Ian Shires says:

      Hear what you say and this is why the contract is for an initial 6 months. The previous Conservative administration had allowed things to drift in their bid to hit their Government’s cuts targets. They had proposed further cuts in the Cleansing Budget in their 2016/17 Budget. It is clear from the number of complaints that we get that the majority of people want action on littering and fly tipping, by taking the action to go into this 6 months contract with 3GS it gives us the space we need to review how we as a council tackle the problem medium to long term against a continuing background of austerity from the Conservatives at West Minster. Remember we still have to find around £100,000,000 more cuts over the next four years.

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