Stricter rules to fight litter in Fylde

As of Wednesday, July 1, a private specialist company will be responsible for what is being termed ‘proactive enforcement’ to tackle unacceptable behaviour and keep Fylde clean.

Fines of up to £100 for littering or any dog-related offence will apply to fixed penalty notices issued by District Enforcement, national private environmental crime specialists, who will be working under the direction of Fylde Council, patrolling any area of land open to public access, including town centres and environmental hotspots.

The introduction of the new approach to enforcement, previously carried out by council staff and understood to be in the offing for some time, comes just weeks after councillors, officers and residents were left frustrated by a mountain of rubbish left at Fylde beauty spots by visitors to the beach last month on the first weekend after lockdown travel restrictions were eased.

The enforcement of the rules banning barbecues in certain public spaces, which came into effect a year ago, is already looked after by another private company and the new measures are at no additional cost to the council.

Under the arrangement, District Enforcement would collect and retain all revenue from any fixed penalty notices to support the operation, with the council stressing its objective is not income generation but “to challenge inappropriate behaviour by a minority of people and to promote a clean, green borough”.

The fixed penalty notices will be issued by authorised officers to anyone they observe, or have evidence to support, has committed what they term an environmental crime that damages the environment, such as dropping litter or cigarette waste or failing to comply with a Public Space Protection Order (PSPO) for dog control.

The fine for littering is £100 (with an early payment discount of £80) and £100 for any dog related offence, payable to District Enforcement within 14 days.

Court proceedings will be initiated should the offender choose not to pay the penalty notice, with the maximum fine for littering £2,500.

Roger Small, chairman of Fylde’s of operational management committee, said: “Fylde Council is committed to a clean and healthy environment free from indiscriminate littering or the disgusting mess left by owners failing to clean up after their dogs.

“These are the biggest source of complaints we receive from our residents and we are determined to deal with these problems.

“We have spent a lot of time looking at what our neighbouring authorities are doing to solve this in their areas and have concluded that as District Enforcement are operating locally, they should be tasked to operate here in Fylde.

“It is important for everyone to note that if you drop litter or do not clean up after your dog you will be risking a hefty fine. Please help us to make Fylde a clean environment for everyone.”

Colin Buchanan, head of operations at District Enforcement, added: “District Enforcement is excited to be working in partnership with Fylde Council and play our part in keeping such a beautiful borough clean and tidy, with our sole ambition to reduce the amount of littering and dog fouling on the streets.

“We have a dedicated team of officers who will, on a daily basis, patrol the whole borough and take a fair and proportionate approach to the issuance of a fixed penalty notice for any environmental crime offences they witness.

“I am confident that using our model of ‘Engagement, Education and Enforcement’, along with the deployment of enhanced technology, we will assist in playing our part in reducing litter – and we hope the public do too.”