Croydon Council’s campaign to tackle fly-tipping through enforcement and community action now has the support of more than 200 local volunteers and dozens of businesses.
Around 205 local residents from across the borough have now signed up to join the council’s Don’t Mess With Croydon – Take Pride campaign, which aims to focus on changing long-term attitudes in the borough to fly-tipping and litter on top of the council’s normal street cleaning.
The council also has more than 30 businesses from Selsdon to Thornton Heath and Broad Green to West Croydon who have signed a pledge to keep the area around their property clear of litter. This included several on London Road who met council representatives on Wednesday that had been involved in arranging a major GLA-funded clear-up behind their shops off Colliers Water Lane. The focus on London Road also fits with the council’s wider regeneration of the area.
The role of community champions ranges from arranging litter action days and boosting volunteer numbers at neighbouring clear-ups to on-street recruiting and reporting fly-tipping. Events have been held across the borough from Thornton Heath to Coulsdon and from Addiscombe to Waddon, including around 25 volunteers clearing Coulsdon Coppice on Saturday.
The council’s drive to get local shopkeepers on board will eventually cover the whole borough, with council officers and members carrying out regular walkabouts to recruit more people.
The council is also tackling fly-tippers both through penalty notices and court action, including six people prosecuted in one day in March and a successful council prosecution in February against a man who fly-tipped in Broad Green.
Since launching the initiative last June, the council has:
• cleared 88% of reported fly-tipped waste within 48 hours;
• issued almost 500 fixed penalty notices of up to £80;
• carried out more than 570 business licence inspections;
• seen more than 4,000 people report fly-tipping issues.
“From litter pick volunteers to community champions, it’s great that so many of the borough’s residents have joined our campaign to tackle litter and fly-tipping in Croydon.
“It’s also encouraging to have the support of more and more local businesses; this both helps communities take more pride in their borough and helps the council take action against mindless fly-tippers.”
Councillor Stuart Collins, deputy leader – Clean Green Croydon
The council also recently launched a six-month trial in Upper Norwood of street bins with separate sections for black bag rubbish and recyclable waste. This is aimed at discouraging residents who live in flats above shops from leaving black bags by lamp posts.
A “village-based” approach will also be trialled across the borough, where area enforcement officers, contractors and other council staff link together in dedicated areas and communicate with each other to deal with any mess in local communities. Environmental enforcement officers pursue fly-tipping and lead more complex investigations.
For more information on how to get involved in the Don’t Mess With Croydon – Take Pride campaign, visit: https://www.croydon.gov.uk/environment/dontmess/dont-mess
You can also report dumped waste via the council’s dedicated fly-tipping hotline on 0208 604 7000, the council’s My Croydon smartphone app or by emailing flytip@croydon.gov.uk
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