Reducing fly-tipping and litter in Southwark

This week, Councillor Maria Linforth-Hall of the Southwark Liberal Democrats in conjunction with a community of residents are launching a campaign across the north of the borough against fly-tipping and litter foulers.

The ‘Reducing Fly-tipping and Litter and Empowering our Community’ campaign supports ongoing community engagement and enforcement work to crackdown on littering the borough. Discarding rubbish on the street should never be an option. Every time the council clears illegally dumped rubbish it costs resources and money, which could have been better spent on other services for residents.

Littering, dumping and fly-tipping do attract large penalties of up to £400 from the council and, potentially, prosecution. Residents and Cllr Maria Linforth-Hall will be working together and overseeing joint operations between council enforcement and street cleansing teams to ensure fly-tips are investigated and cleared promptly. This will result in a streamlined service with faster clear-ups and increased enforcement action against those making a mess in Southwark wards.

As well as approaching local businesses as potential sponsors of the campaign, posters, advertisements and leaflets will show how dumped rubbish affects local communities, attracting vermin, making neighbourhood’s messy, posing a danger to residents and giving the uncared feeling. The campaign will also be supported with information and tips across social media.

Councillor Maria Linforth-Hall, Southwark Liberal Democrat Councillor and Community Champion for the North West region of Southwark, said:

"Together with the community, our ‘Reducing Fly-tipping and Litter and Empowering our Community’ campaign will aim to educate and inform, to help people make the right choices when it comes to disposing of their rubbish. We aim for the council to adopt a zero-tolerance stance on grime crime and will fine or prosecute any individual or business caught dumping rubbish in the area.

My aim is to also empower and educate our community by allowing residents a voice in the decision-making processes around this issue and by engaging with residents on the specific issues that affect them locally. Our campaign aims to educate and encourage behavioural change to improve our communities by tackling fly-tipping and litter.

These are our homes and we each owe it to ourselves and our neighbours to keep our streets tidy and clear of rubbish. Together we can make a better community."

The components of the programme are outlined below:

Fly-tipping initiative:

We will develop and deliver online workshops for residents on reducing waste and how to dispose of it legally and properly.

Council Officers will be supporting this initiative by clearing fly-tips as they appear (free of charge) and helping by issuing enforcement letters and signs in order to counter fly-tipping.

Residents are strongly urged to report any fly-tips they see via the council’s report page -> click here, which enables residents to make a report quickly and easily or cut and past the following link:

www.southwark.gov.uk/street-care/litter-on-streets-and-estates

Litter-picking initiative:

We will be engaging in targeted litter-picking in hotspots.

We will challenge current behaviours in order to bring our community together to do good.

Council Officers are also supporting this initiative by supplying sacks and loaning equipment for litter picking.