Stuart Anderson MP has ordered a blitz on litter in towns and villages across South Shropshire, after he was contacted by residents who have raised concerns about the situation. He also called for greater consistency in enforcing litter laws.
it has emerged that there is a "notable disparity" in the number of Fixed Penalty Notices (FPNs) issued by local authorities. This stems from varying levels of willingness to enforce litter laws and differing priorities.
More than 90% of 1,140 miles of urban and rural sites surveyed by Keep Britain Tidy over the past decade were found to contain litter.
Meanwhile, seven in ten people believe that the country's litter problem has worsened in recent years and believe the problem negatively impacts local businesses.
The last government bolstered councils' enforcement powers by almost doubling the maximum fixed penalty for littering from £80 to £150. It also gave councils in England outside London new 'civil penalty' powers to tackle littering from vehicles.
Councils also have powers to prosecute anyone caught littering, which can lead to a fine of up to £2,500. In addition, the last government provided nearly £1 million to help councils purchase new bins for areas most in need.
Additionally, a 'Binfrastructure Fund' provided the opportunity for councils to apply for grants of between £10,000 and £25,000 to support the purchase of new litter bins for local communities.
77 applications were received, with £983,000 being awarded to local authorities across 44 grants. This was part of a wider £18 million 'Resource Action Fund' to support resource efficiency projects.
Almost 300 projects helped to divert over 180,871 tonnes of waste. Given the current situation, Stuart has called for the scheme should be reinstated.
While local authorities are responsible for ensuring litter is collected from the roads that they manage, National Highways has a statutory duty to ensure that its land and highways are kept clear of litter and refuse.
Litter and other maintenance issues can be reported directly via their website at: https://report.nationalhighways.co.uk/.
Stuart Anderson MP said:
"Littering is unacceptable and should be tackled in every way possible. I have been contacted by residents who share my aspiration for South Shropshire to become a safer and cleaner place to live in, work, and visit. My plan would help to reinstate civic pride in our local communities. As part of this, I have called for a clean up on litter to ensure penalties are issued to perpetrators and infrastructure is strengthened with dedicated funding restored for local councils."
