Council’s zero tolerance approach to Environmental Crime
Ashfield District Council is taking a zero tolerance approach to environmental crime as part of its new enforcement scheme.
A new dedicated Environmental Enforcement team has been created to further tackle littering and dog fouling across the District. The Council is working with specialist private sector enforcement provider Waste Investigations Support & Enforcement (WISE) on a 12 month pilot that will see fixed penalty notices issued to those caught committing environmental crime in our communities.
The team of Enforcement Officers will patrol town centres, parks & green spaces and high footfall areas. The new scheme comes at no additional cost to the Council, and will actually see us generate money that we can invest back into the District.
Theresa Hodgkinson, Director for Place and Communities said “The Council is committed to making Ashfield a cleaner and greener place to live, environmental crime can adversely impact on the local environment.
“This zero tolerance approach should make residents think twice before they chose not to pick up after their dog, or drop litter. It could make for a very expensive coffee if you chose to dump your cup rather than take it home to put in the bin. We are investing highly in our town centres and green spaces and we want residents to be proud of where they live. We all have a responsibility to keep the District clean, and this new pilot will come down on those that think they can commit environmental crime and get away with it.”
Those caught committing environmental crime will be issued a Fixed Penalty Notice which requires them to pay a £100 fine, discounted to £75 if paid within 10 days.
WISE Managing Director, John Dunne said: “We are pleased to be working in partnership with Ashfield District Council.
“WISE deliver a wide range of environmental investigations and enforcement services on a national basis and have consequently contributed to a reduction in street litter and the associated cost of cleaning it up as a result of our efforts.
“Our aim is to reduce environmental crime for the long term and patrol the area in an ‘intelligence led’ manner using geo fencing technology and focusing our controls on identified hotspots received from the complaints and feedback of the general public.
“We will operate a robust but always proportionate methodology to tackle environmental crime, using a wide range of technical support including 4G body worn cameras and a handheld computer which will confirm the identity of an alleged offender before issuing a fixed penalty notice.
“Our officers have been instructed to communicate openly with the community with the overall aim of inclusivity for the Ashfield community to play their part in the task ahead.”
