Working in Partnership to tackle Environmental Crimes across Wirral
A fly-tipper living in New Brighton was issued with a formal notice for breach of their Magenta Living tenancy and enforcement action is being taken by Wirral Borough Council (WBC) as the fly tipper dumped waste illegally on their land.
Paul Millward, Neighbourhood Housing Officer said: “Fly-tipping that blights our neighbourhoods is on the increase, it's expensive to remove and we will not tolerate our tenants or anybody dumping on our land and on WBC green open spaces. There is no excuse we already offer a subsidised waste removal service via our BERT Service to our tenants. This perpetrator, a Magenta Living tenant, is in double trouble as their tenancy has been affected and they will receive a fixed penalty notice from WBC as well, so they will definitely think twice before fly tipping again."
Karen Lear, Environmental Services Team Leader said: “I am delighted we have a result with this individual. Wirral rate and rent payers should not have to fund people who are too lazy to dispose of their waste properly. Partnership working is the way forward, we can’t tackle this issue alone so we are pooling our resources and using whatever means we can whether that be CCTV, local intelligence or our innovative Trash Tracker approach.
"My Trash Tracker Officers visit each fly tipping incident and cordon it off as an environmental crime scene. They use various CSI detection methods to obtain information. As well as gathering evidence, the Environmental Crime Team also engages with residents in the area providing information and advice regarding the correct use and disposal of waste. This approach has been 90% effective with the majority of residents taking back their waste and either booking the BERT service or taking it to the tip themselves. The rest of the fly-tippers are being dealt with through either enforcement or fixed penalty notices with the risk of being named in the local press too. Partnership working along with our communities is key if we are going to stop fly-tippers and keep our neighbourhoods clean and safe.
If you want to find out more about Trash Tracker please contact Karen Lear, Environmental Services Team Leader on 0808 100 9596.