Oldham Council reports that its enforcement officers make use of environmental laws to take those who blight the borough to task, including new powers that came in last year under the Clean Neighbourhoods and Environment Act.
Last year, the Council set the level of fixed penalty notice for Littering, graffiti and flyposting at the maximum £80, but agreed to allowing perpetrators the opportunity of ‘working off’ their fixed penalty notice in the community as an alternative, should they wish to do so.
Not only was it requested by the public that litter louts should be made to make amends out in the community, but offenders themselves often requested opportunity to do this as an alternative to paying their penalty or prosecution.
The ‘community reparation’ scheme was launched in November and the first individuals who have opted to participate in the scheme, rather than pay their penalty, are now coming through. The first individual is scheduled to spend a full litter picking under supervision in Oldham Town Centre on Wednesday 20 February. Gary Stevenson was witnessed dropping fast food wrappers out of his car window. Instead of paying his £80 fine he has chosen to work off his penalty in this way.
Service Director for Environmental Protection John Rice said: "Time and again surveys show that littering in all its forms is one of the main areas of concern with local residents.
"The community reparation scheme is an excellent way for people discharge their penalty by keeping the Borough tidy and I would hope it will give them an understanding of the amount of time and resources that the Council has to spend dealing with litter."
