A new taskforce set up to tackle fly-tipping has already issued 44 fixed penalty notices (FPNs) following crackdowns in known hotspots.
Launched in April, the taskforce is among the latest initiatives from Don’t Mess with Croydon (DMWC), the council’s campaign to clean up streets and public spaces by tackling fly-tipping and litter while encouraging community pride. The new team focuses solely on fly-tipping taking a proactive approach, using intelligence from residents and agencies and carrying out covert operations in areas with a history of fly-tips.
Of the 44 FPNS the taskforce has issued since April, 33 were as a result of a highly successful night-time operation on 19 and 20 May in Selhurst. A similar operation has already been carried out Bensham Manor, with results available soon and the team will be carrying out similar exercises across the borough.
“The message to fly-tippers is – there is nowhere safe for you to dump rubbish illegally in Croydon anymore. You will be caught and you will be fined or prosecuted. Since the start of DMWC, we have adopted a zero-tolerance approach to people who fly-tip on our streets. The council’s borough-wide enforcement teams have already issued 435 FPNS for flytipping and 538 for littering offences between April 2016 and the end of May 2017.
“But now for the first time, we have a taskforce whose sole focus is preventing flytipping. They have the time, the expertise and the means to carry out surveillance, collect evidence and use the full extent of the council’s powers to bring the perpetrators to justice. And we will continue to push for the toughest penalties because flytipping has a huge impact on our community and on everyone’s quality of life. This is a priority for us as a council
Councillor Stuart Collins, deputy leader – Clean Green Croydon
Croydon Council has also recently introduced £400 FPNs for the more serious fly-tipping offences. To date seven of these FPNs have been issued.
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