Enough is enough: It’s time we binned city’s litter louts
Rubbish strewn across beaches, swathes of detritus left behind in city centres, packaging dumped in parks for someone else to deal with.
These are scenes that have become too familiar during the easing of coronavirus restrictions in the UK but which have their root in a much more long-term problem - the UK’S litter epidemic.
Today we are standing up to it, and urging you to do the same, with our new campaign Don’t Trash Our Future.
The Bath Chronicle and our sister website Bathlive, together with local community and information platform Inyourarea.co.uk and our nationwide network of sister newspapers and websites, have teamed up with Clean Up Britain to push for changes we believe will leave no choice but for both irresponsible litter louts and the authorities who have the power to enforce the law but so often don’t take long-lasting action.
Across Somerset we have seen reports of rubbish left in beauty spots, and huge mounds dumped outside flats leaving residents feeling angry and upset.
In Bath last year we launched an anti litter campaign to tackle the city’s summer litter problems at the height of the tourist months. And as coronavirus struck this year we have seen flytipping as recycling centres were unable to open.
Residents called one instance in Bath “disgusting” after several mattress, chairs and a stacker unit were dumped in the car park area under a block of flats
Our campaign has two aims:
■ To increase the maximum punishment for littering to a £1,000 fine or 100 hours of supervised community litter picking;
■ To make it compulsory for local authorities to enforce the law on littering.
We are urging you to sign our petition to see it - with the aim of reaching 100,000 signatures so we can lobby the Government to change the legislation and shed the country of its longheld reputation as a litter-plagued nation.
We’re also calling on councils to flex their muscles in the fight against rubbish and make far better use of the powers they already have available.
A Freedom of Information request sent by Clean Up Britain to 169 councils in England and Wales found the majority (56 per cent) were issuing less than one fine per week for littering and more than two dozen (16 per cent) don’t issue fines at all.
Finding the right solution is not easy. North Somerset Council has said it could draft in a private firm to enforce littering after Westonsuper-mare and other areas were badly affected following the easing of lockdown.
Bath and North East Somerset Council scrapped this approach and brought enforcement back in house this year after what was dubbed a “private litter army” was accused of being heavy-handed with fines.
However they do it, it is our local councils that have the power to impose fines and we challenge and support them to find a solution that works.
In a recent survey conducted by Inyourarea.co. uk, more than 7,500 respondents overwhelmingly said littering has a negative effect on them and their neighbourhoods and classed it as a big problem. JB Gill (inset), a former member of superstar pop group JLS who is now a passionate advocate for education and the countryside, has signed up as an ambassador for Don’t Trash Our Future.
He said: “It’s great to see that people recognise that litter is a public health concern and a major problem. The only way to stop the damage being done to our health, nature and wildlife is to sign the Don’t Trash our Future petition, object to local councils not enforcing fines and demand a higher penalty for those dropping litter.”
John Read, founder of Clean Up Britain, said: “Clean Up Britain is very excited to be running the Don’t Trash Our Future campaign with Inyourarea.co.uk
“We know from the countless people who contact us that there is a huge desire - from people all over the country - to try and solve the litter epidemic. We are all so fortunate to live in a beautiful country, but equally, it’s so depressing to see so many people littering it.
“This has to stop, as it shames Britain. There has to be zero tolerance towards littering. Littering is symptomatic of a lack of pride in our local communities, and a lack of respect for other people and the environment generally.
“This campaign is about challenging and reversing these negative sentiments, and saying enough is enough.
“Let’s be grateful for what we have, take care of our country and, above all, ‘Don’t Trash Our Future.’”
Mr Read added: “The Government needs to start getting serious about confronting people who litter. It’s a criminal offence to litter and it needs to be treated that way.
“Fines need to be increased to a level which shows the Government - and society generally - will no longer tolerate this antisocial and selfish behaviour.
“In addition, we also need to ensure fines are a credible deterrent, by making it compulsory for councils to enforce the law, which currently it’s not.”
Journalist and television presenter Jeremy Paxman is Clean Up Britain’s patron. The campaign has also received the backing of broadcaster and animal rights campaigner Clare Balding and her partner Alice Arnold.
Further support has come from television host Gabby Logan and her husband Kenny (above), a former Scotland international rugby player turned broadcaster.
More than 7,500 people responded to a nationwide survey on Inyourarea.co.uk about littering and its effects.
The results showed people are really angry and sad about litter in their area, which they say is a big problem and getting worse during the pandemic. They want more to be done.
Half of respondents (50 per cent) perceived litter to be a big problem in their area, with a further 35 per cent saying it was a major problem.