Tories issue call for ‘zero tolerance’ on fly-tipping
HYNDBURN’S Tory group has accused its Labour local authority bosses of failing to crack down on fly-tipping, dog fouling and littering.
They submitted a motion at last week’s full council meeting calling for a ‘zero tolerance approach’ to the offences.
The debate followed the discovery of a massive fly-tipping of waste, including beds, wooden cabinets and clothing, on Steiners Lane in Church on November 4 which had to removed by private contractors.
Moving the resolution, Immanuel ward’s Coun Josh Allen said: “Hyndburn Council has, worryingly, issued no fines for fly-tipping during the period of July 2019 to June 2020 and has used local taxpayers’ money to clear over 3,000 cases during this time.
“This sends the completely wrong message to those who damage our area in this way, making it apparent the council will not seek to identify and fine them. It also tells residents the council is not on their side in the fight to keep Hyndburn clean and green.”
Borough environment boss Coun Paul Cox said Coun Allen had got his figures wrong and that 17 fly-tippers had been taken to court during the period, that many of the incidents recorded were just householders leaving an extra bag by their bins and that the figures were skewed by the coronavirus pandemic seeing officers deployed to other duties.
Accusing the Tories of seeking ‘lazy headlines’ he said the council would be using Public Space Protection Orders to increase its powers and court penalties to tackle the problem in known hotspots.
Labour leader Coun Miles Parkinson accused the opposition of ‘playing politics’ with the issue and said Hyndburn already had a zero-tolerance approach.
Coun Sara Britcliffe, also Hyndburn’s Tory MP who obtained the figures from council officers, said: “I want Hyndburn Council’s officers to be tackling this head on with hefty fines.
“We need a zero tolerance approach.”
Tory Coun Judith Addison said: “Where is the deterrent? We are sending the wrong message to the general public.”
The motion calling for
‘an action plan to crack down on this totally unacceptable behaviour’ was defeated.