Rubbish Roundup 26th March

Rubbish Roundup 26^th March

Residents of Ormsgill in Cumbria have promised to keep their streets clean after they participated in a litter pick last weekend to tackle litter and fly-tipping. 41 Residents and other local volunteers took part in the litter pick on St. Patrick’s Day, despite the freezing temperatures. They were joined by staff from the council’s community development and street care teams, and children from a local primary school.

The council thanked everyone who braved the cold and said that volunteers have managed to collect a huge amount of rubbish. The weight of the rubbish that was collected was a whopping half a tonne.

The headteacher of the local primary school said that the school want to encourage children to be responsible citizens, and the litter pick is the perfect way to show them what good can be done when a community comes together.

Horsham District Council’s ‘Adopt a Street’ project was given a boost when a group of pupils from a local primary school cleaned up the grounds around their school. The children were given litter pickers, gloves, and bags to collect the litter.

The Adopt-a-Street project was launched in March 2015, and its aim is to encourage residents to take care of their street, or an area in their community, by picking up litter. There are now 3000 volunteers involved with the project.

The council said that it was great to see young children showing concern for the environment and taking pride in their local area at such a young age.

The council provides volunteers with health and safety training, advice, and equipment such as litter pickers, plastic bags, protective gloves, and hi-vis jackets. You can find out more about the scheme at: https://www.horsham.gov.uk/bins/adopt-a-street

Dudley Council has announced they will be taking a zero-tolerance approach to litter bugs and people who allow their dogs to foul. They have hired the private firm Kingdom Enforcement Services to patrol the streets, parks, and open spaces across the borough for 12 months to catch irresponsible citizens in the act.

The initiative will likely lead to an increase in the number of fixed penalty notices that are handed out for these offences. The hiring of Kingdom won’t cost the council anything, as the firm receives payment from the fines that are issued, and the council also keep a percentage.

There will be 5 officers patrolling initially, and the Dudley operation is part of the firm’s work with more than 30 local authorities across the country. Nearby Wolverhampton Council already uses the firm’s services, and in 2016 alone, more than 9000 fines were issued to litterers, compared with just 25 before the firm took over patrols.

In Walsall, private enforcement officers handed out fines worth up to £20,000 in just under 6 months as the council attempted to clean up the borough.

The council stated that most residents welcome the fact that they are taking steps to clean up the area and that the high-visibility of the officers will act as a deterrent.