Issue - items at meetings - FLYTIPPING UPDATE

Issue - meetings

FLYTIPPING UPDATE

Meeting: 08/09/2021 - Overview & Scrutiny Committee (Item 4)

4 FLYTIPPING UPDATE pdf icon PDF 2 MB

To receive a “Fly-tipping” update.

Minutes:

RECEIVED the update circulated to Members, and presentation from Councillor Rick Jewell (Cabinet Member for Environment), Doug Wilkinson (Director of Environment Operational Services), Sue McDaid (Head of Regulatory Services), and Jon Sharkey (Head of Public Realm Services).

 

Points highlighted included:

  Increased flytipping was a national problem, not unique to Enfield, and had also been impacted by the Covid-19 pandemic and lockdowns.

  Key challenges included regular turnover in the resident population, lack of awareness about proper waste disposal, over-occupied properties, some types of properties with little space for waste storage or recycling, business over-generation of waste, the perceived low threat of being caught, and the lengthy legal processes to be followed.

  The strategic approach being followed by the Council included working with a number of services and other agencies.

  The Council had a good record around proactive flytip clearance but had not previously promoted all its activities.

  Measures to prevent recurrence were set out.

  More recently, a communication campaign was begun to increase public awareness, including on social media, to generate positive interest.

  There was robust enforcement, but processes had to be followed which were labour intensive and time consuming. Joint operations were conducted with the Police and with the Environment Agency. Outcomes were highlighted over the past five years. Prosecutions were now able to be put through the Single Justice System electronically, but there was a limit to 140 per month, and a limit on the Council for all court prosecutions of 12 per month.

  There had been recent service changes including waste enforcement team posts, and new deployable CCTV cameras, and the move to a free bulky waste collection service to be implemented this month. Also, additional refuse collection crews to carry out refuse collection from Council Housing Estates, and additional refuse collection vehicles and flytip crews.

  Case studies were quoted from other local authorities’ approaches.

  Officers would like to see banning of cash transactions for waste removal, and tougher sentences from courts, and as much court time as possible provided for prosecution of flytippers.

 

Committee Members provided the following comments and questions:

 

1.    The Chair asked about education around dumping of rubbish. It was advised that there had originally been plans to provide talks to residents and pop-up events: these had been put on hold but could now be re-started, including visits to schools. Awareness of the amount of rubbish dumping should be raised. Social media was an important educational tool. There had been engagement with residents on street walkabouts.

2.    In response to queries about the bulky waste collection service, it was confirmed that details were being finalised and the free service would launch formally in the next few days. The service would be able to do up to 50 pick-ups a day, each of up to 6 items. Residents could make a booking online. There would be a small charge to reserve a specific pick up time, and there would still be a charge to  ...  view the full minutes text for item 4