Council secures £30,000 to tackle fly-tipping
Telford and Wrekin Council has been successful in securing £30,000 to support new fly-tipping initiatives from the Police Crime Commissioner, John Campion (PCC).
As a result, the clamp-down on fly-tipping can be extended to include partners such as the National Farmers Union, Smart Water and the West Mercia Police Business and Rural crime Team.
Telford and Wrekin Council will contribute a further £10,000 for measures like prevention campaigns, enforcement through signage, CCTV, lighting, monitoring responsible tyre disposal through the use of SmartWater pens - a traceable liquid that is applied to items to identify thieves and deter theft - and by issuing fixed penalty notices.
Councillor Richard Overton, Deputy Leader for Telford and Wrekin Council and Cabinet Member for Enforcement said: “Since 2019, more than 11,000 fly-tipping incidents have been recorded at a cost to the tax payer in the region of £630k – that could translate to a one percent reduction in council tax.
“This investment will support a host of measures already being undertaken and also allow us to extend our reach to work with partners and residents too.
“It’s time those committing environmental crimes are held to account and tax payers stop picking up the bill. While we welcome this investment, our current expenditure on fly tipping still far exceeds the allocation.”
A new project called ‘Telford & Wrekin Watch’ will publicise people committing offences and appeals for information. Residents are encouraged to sign up for the latest appeals here.
An additional £10k will support the PCC’s force-wide tyre tag initiative. This West Mercia Police project works alongside local authorities and Smartwater to prevent garages from being targeted by organised criminals to illegally dispose of tyres.
Commissioner John Campion said “Fly tipping is an issue which has been raised by our communities time and time again. Not only is it unsightly and a nuisance, it causes a substantial cost to landowners and is hazardous to our environment and wildlife.
I was impressed by the thorough, partnership approach in both schemes and I am pleased to be investing in them, helping put an end to this blight on our communities.”
To find out more about enforcement and how to report environmental and anti-social behaviour issues across Telford and Wrekin visit the website.
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Ref: PR11462
