An external contractor has been brought on board to help crackdown on littering across Liverpool
Some of the new enforcement agents with Cllr Laura Robertson-Collins in Old Swan
New litter enforcement officers out on the streets of Liverpool will not be set targets on the amount of tickets they are to issue. The city council has contracted the services of Waste Investigations Support and Enforcement (WISE) to operate throughout the city to address illegal littering, fly-tipping and dog fouling.
A new team of enforcement officers started work this week to help prevent environmental crimes and issue fixed penalty notices (FPNs) to anyone caught offending. Increasing FPNs was one of the new measures rolled out by Liverpool Council to address residents’ concerns.
While 45 tickets were handed out to offenders last month for illegally dumped waste, the city council will not set targets for new officials to dish out penalties. Cllr Laura Robertson-Collins, cabinet member for communities, neighbourhoods and streetscene, said the council was not trying to catch out people who “make an honest mistake” rather those “deliberately missing up our streets.”
As of June this year, litterers face a £150 penalty, while those caught dog fouling will be ordered to pay £100. A tiered penalty system has been introduced for fly-tipping, which starts at £500 and can rise depending on severity.
The WISE officers will support the work being done by the council’s internal environmental crime enforcement team. In July, the team issued 45 FPNs for illegally disposed waste, including a £1,000 penalty for a significant amount of fly-tipping from one individual.
They also engaged with more than 250 business and residents about the correct way to dispose of waste. Officials will now get additional support from WISE, which already works with 31 local authorities and in such major cities as Manchester and Birmingham.
Fly tipping found outside St Dominic Church in Knotty Ash(Image: Knowsley Council)
To ensure high standards and a close working partnership, WISE and the council will have regular meetings to review the service quality and mitigate any identified risks. The council has not set any FPN targets for either the internal or external teams, with the priority instead being to encourage behaviour change.
Cllr Robertson-Collins said: “Introducing more environmental enforcement officers means that we can commit even more time and resources to tackling environmental crimes. Our goal is to help promote positive behaviour and show people who don’t respect our city that it will not go unseen.
“We aren’t trying to catch anyone making an honest mistake – instead, we want to take action against people who are deliberately messing up our streets. People come from far and wide to see our beautiful city. For them, and most importantly for the people who live and work here every day, we’re doing everything we can to keep the city clean and tidy.”
A general image taken by the ECHO of fly tipping near West Derby Road (Image: Liverpool ECHO)
John Dunne, managing director of WISE, added: “WISE delivers a wide range of environmental investigations and enforcement services across the UK and has consistently contributed to the reduction of environmental crime and the cost of cleansing associated with it. Our core objective is to support Liverpool in achieving long-term improvements in local environmental quality by targeting problem areas using an ‘intelligence-led’ approach.
“This includes the use of geo-fencing technology and responding directly to feedback and complaints from residents. We will employ a firm but proportionate methodology to address environmental offences, underpinned by the use of body-worn cameras and mobile technology to verify offender details and issue fixed penalty notices efficiently and lawfully.
“Our officers are committed to engaging positively with local communities to promote inclusive participation in protecting and enhancing the environment across the city of Liverpool.”