Campaign picks up backing from chiefs
The Echo has been praised for helping to put efforts to keep our city’s streets in the spotlight.
Sunderland City Council leaders championed our Clean Streets campaign and the work of the authority’s frontline staff as they agreed to increasethefinesgiventopeoplewhocommitenvironmental offences from next month.
This includes doubling the penalty for dropping litter to £150.
Its cabinet heard the rises are part of its ongoing efforts to tidy up Wearside communities, with more cash going into its cleansing team and a bigger focus on dealing with flytipping.
In future it could also use Facebooktonameandshame those caught by its enforcement team, which is due to be strengthened with new members in coming months.
Deputy council leader Michael Mordey, cabinet member for city services, said: “The Echo is running a very good campaign, Clean Streets.
“We do promote the fixed penalties we have given through the Echo and to get the message out.
“We are seeing a number of residents writing registration numbers down and we have seen an increase in enforcement in the last year and in the new year.
“Hopefully this twintrack approach with fines will turn this around.
“Residents have told us they want us to deal with it and the council is tackling it.
“We are taking a zeropolicy approach and there is a small minority of people who think it’s their right to dump rubbish wherever they want.”
Council leader Coun Harry Trueman said: “We thank the Echo for its role in highlighting this and getting this message out there.”
Coun Louise Farthing suggested to the meeting Facebook could be used to hightlight enforcement and added on the matter of the fines: “I’m absolutely delighted with this because it is the scourge of our city.”