Scheme set to target litter louts

A proposal to crackdown on litter louts and people who refuse to clean up after their dogs is being brought before Councillors.

The clamp down follows a recent consultation that showed litter and dog fouling were high among residents’ list of concerns.

As a result street patrols could be set to issue fixed penalty notices to anyone they see failing to pick up their dog’s mess, fly tipping or littering.

If given the go ahead Gloucester City Council will team up with 3GS enforcement services which will patrol the main gate streets and also cover the wider city area.

In a move that has been rolled out in towns and cities across the country, they will hand out fixed penalty notices of £100 for offences (£75 for early payment) such as dropping litter on the street or from a vehicle including chewing gum and cigarette butts, fly-tipping, failing to keep your dog under control and street drinking in a prohibited area. 

The 12 month pilot scheme will be self financing and any extra money that is generated will be used for tackling litter, environmental enforcement and graffiti.

A significant amount of taxpayers’ money is already spent tackling littering and Gloucester City Council spends around £1m per year clearing litter and fly tipping, street sweeping, litter bin emptying and litter picking. Last year around 1,829 tonnes of waste was collected from the streets.

Councillor Richard Cook, Cabinet Member for the Environment at Gloucester City Council, said: “This is about taking back our streets for the vast majority of law abiding people who clean up after their dogs and dispose of their rubbish properly.

“People are telling us that they are fed up with littering and dog fouling so we cracking down on this selfish behaviour and believe that it will send out a message to people who think that the rules don’t apply to them.

“A scheme like this is necessary if we’re going to change people’s behaviour and every penny will go back into making sure our city is clean and tidy.”