Keep Barnsley Tidy | Berneslai Homes

Article: Keep Barnsley Tidy

Members of the public are encouraged to “Keep Barnsley Tidy” and let Barnsley Council’s Regulatory Services have evidence of people they see dropping litter, not picking up after their dog has fouled, and who dump rubbish.
 
With sufficient evidence, this may lead to offenders being issued with fixed penalty fines by the Environmental Regulatory Unit’s Enforcement Officers, or even court action where Magistrates can impose a fine and award costs.

People in their cars may think they will not be caught if they throw their litter out of the window.  The Council is keen to dispel this myth.  Already, a number of drivers and passengers have received £75 fixed penalty notices for littering from cars, and several have had their example of littering presented at court.  It’s not just takeaway wrappers that contribute to litter along the roadside: tissues, banana skins and cigarette ends thrown out also contribute to litter problems, and all are illegal acts.

The aim is to make nowhere safe in Barnsley for people to drop litter, leave their dog’s fouling or to dump rubbish.  We are hoping that there will soon be a great many members of the public out there watching and reporting these offences to our team.

If we truly want to stop people spoiling our area, we must as a society show that we won't accept it and report those people we see doing it.  Not only are many of these problems an eyesore, especially in countryside and woodland areas renowned for their natural beauty, they can be hazardous to your health; it is also hitting council taxpayers in the pocket.

Littering cost the Council almost £100,000 last year for its sweeping up and removal alone.  The actual costs are much higher than that, however: litter can injure both people and wildlife, encourage rat infestations, damage business and tourism opportunities, is a cause of around a third of all fires attended by the Fire Service and makes an area look neglected, leading to other anti social behaviour. 

Don’t forget – if you give your waste to anyone else, you must take steps to check that they are legally authorised to take your waste away.  Contact the Environment Agency first before using them – telephone 08708 506506.  If they’re not authorised and don’t have a proper waste carriers licence, don’t use them or you would be liable to prosecution.

What Can I do?

Phone us either on 01226-772468 or e-mail us at regulatoryservices@barnsley.gov.uk
Gather as much information as you can, and write it down before calling.  Be sure to write down as much detail as possible about what you saw:

• Record the date, time and location that it happened.
• If a vehicle was involved, did you get the registration number?
• What was the make, model and colour of the vehicle?
• Who threw the litter/dumped the waste/left the dog mess?
• Who was in charge of the dog – how do you know?
• In a car, was it the driver or a passenger and in what seat were they sitting?
• What did you see being fly tipped/littered?
• How long did you watch this taking place?
• Do you recognise any of the people involved?
• Do you know their names and addresses?
• Can you describe their appearance, what were they wearing?
• Where were you positioned at the time of the offence?
• How far away were you from the incident?
• Did you have an unobscured view?
• What were the weather conditions like?