Plan to give 300 more litter fine powers by Kirklees Council

Feb 13 2009 Huddersfield Daily Examiner

LITTER louts and fly-tippers could find it harder to avoid fines.

Kirklees Council is planning a huge increase in the number of staff able to issue fixed penalty notices for environmental crimes including littering, fly-tipping, dog fouling, graffiti and fly-posting.

Currently only 64 people from the council’s Environmental Services are able to impose the fines of up to £300.

But the council’s Cabinet will decide on Tuesday whether to increase the number of workers able to fine people by more than 300.

This would include 205 police officers, 61 people from Kirklees Neighbourhood Housing, nine council licensing staff, 16 people from Leisure Services and 35 parking wardens.

If the Cabinet approves the idea, staff will be trained and the new scheme will be launched in April. Money raised will be shared among the various groups taking part.

Kirklees deputy leader Clr Kath Pinnock supports the move.

The Cleckheaton Lib Dem said: “Our Environmental Services have an annual budget of £20m and a good proportion of that is spent on street cleaning. It makes sense to encourage people not to drop litter – and to penalise people who do.

“We’re spending a lot of money clearing up after people who insist on dropping litter in the street so I think this idea will get the thumbs up from most people.”

Tony Coletta, who owns Occasions on Market Avenue, believes the proposed change could help clean up the town centre.