Brixton Blog reports that Lambeth Council is to review the amount it charges to take away bulk waste collections for residents. It currently costs £20 for the Council to remove up to four separate items. An additional £5 is charged for each extra item.
The Cabinet meeting on Monday will consider a report [pdf] prepared by the Environmental Crime Scrutiny Commission. As well as a review of these charges, other measures include hiring a private security firm to catch fly tippers, and a zero tolerance to spitting and public urination.
The report presents the findings from the Environmental Crime Scrutiny Commission that started a review in the borough back in July 2013. Many of the findings were first presented at the Scrutiny roadshow that took place in Streatham last December.
Charging less for bulk waste collections has the aim of cutting down on fly tipping.
The Cabinet report states:
“That the council be requested to review the effectiveness of Lambeth’s policy of charging residents to use its bulky waste collection service, including an appraisal of how much money is raised through the service and the costs of enforcement.”
Bringing in the private sector to help deal with environmental crimes is another possible solution:
“We are exploring commissioning a private contractor to issue fixed penalty notices for litter, fly tipping and dog-fouling in the borough.”
The report had suggested increased signs around the borough to deter fly tipping. This has now been rejected with the report admitting that the resources simply aren’t there to carry this out.
CCTV is mentioned however as a means to track down fly tipping.
The report is also clear about cracking down on other anti-social activity.
It recommends:
“That the council adopts a zero tolerance approach to the enforcement of public urination, dog fouling and spitting in public.”
Lambeth Council made the first successful prosecution in the borough for public spitting at the start of the year. A man was charged £120 for spitting in Tunstall Road.