Call for action over smoking litter louts

A RESIDENT has called on the council to stub out littering caused by smokers, writes James Aldridge, Local democracy reporter.

At a meeting of Reading Borough Council’s housing, neighbourhood & leisure committee held on Wednesday, June 29, Caroline Langdon called for fines to be given to those dropping their cigarette ends.

She asked: “Would the committee urgently consider charging £100 at least for throwing litter, including cigarette butts on the pavement, streets and shopping precincts, as they do Whitham, Essex, Halifax, Merton, Hull Wandsworth and Barnsley?” Cigarette butts, she added, were lodged in cracks. Cllr Karen Rowland (Labour, Abbey), lead member for environmental services and community safety, smokes, but said she takes her used cigarettes with her for proper disposal.

She added that littering fine are currently £80 in the Ding, while flytipping is £400, reduced to £200 if paid within 10 days. But the council does not have officers able to issue on-the-spot fines.

“I’m committed to investigating the possibility of introducing litter control officers, who would have the warrant to issue fixed penalty notices for littering within the town centre and other areas throughout the borough where littering is a constant problem,” she said.

“The nature of this type of enforcement is confrontational, however with officers being required to be trained to minimise the escalation of angry conversation, wear stab protection vests, and equipped with body cameras and urgency contact with the police.”

She added that councils that do engage in this enforcement are often contracted out.

Cllr Rowland urged residents to use the Love Clean Reading app, which works by residents uploading pictures of waste and graffiti for the council’s team react. They operate from 5.30am to 7.30pm every day other than Christmas Day.

Although a mix of methods are used for street cleaning, cobbled streets are either mechanically swept using a compact vehicle or a self-propelled sweeper is used, both of which suction for litter disposal.

Cllr Rowland said: “This methodology has proven to be the most effective way of removing small items such as cigarette debris, litter and leaves.”

Ms Langdon and Cllr Rowland agreed to meet in the town centre to discuss the issues further.