|
We are pleased to share some of the great work our Cleansing Team and Enforcement Officers have undertaken throughout March.
As you may be aware, fly tipping (the illegal deposit of waste on private or public land) is an issue that both our Cleansing & Enforcement Officers work hard to investigate and remove. Illegally depositing waste or knowingly permitting someone to illegally deposit your waste is a criminal offence; the repercussions of which could be a £300 instant fine or should it be heard in court the fine can be an unlimited amount and up to 5 years imprisonment.
Our officers and operatives are in the area daily but don't always witness offences taking place. This means we rely on evidence found amongst the waste or eye witnesses to come forward and provide key details. We know that residents may feel hesitant to provide information or are unsure as to the type of information we require. Therefore we've compiled the information below to help clarify:
What is a witness?
A witness is a person who can provide solid detail and information in regards to an offence. A witness must see first hand or be able to provide CCTV/photographic evidence to support the allegation if they did not see the offence first hand. If you are able to take a photograph of the waste in situ to support your statement it may help the investigation. We do not ask that residents put themselves in any danger to take such photographs.
We CANNOT take action using information such as:
- "I know it's *suspect* because they have been painting in the house and I've seen people working there and I think they have new furniture"
Instead, we need:
- Time and date of the offence
- Description of the waste
- Description of the person(s) involved. This could be height, ethnicity, gender, any distinguishing features such as tattoos, hair colour, glasses.
- Vehicle information - make/model, colour, registration number
For example, "I know that the waste has come from number *address of suspect* because on the 12th March 2021 at approximately 9:30pm I witnessed *insert description of suspect* take waste from the rear garden of the property and put it on the back street. I believe that this person lives at this address because I see them in the garden occasionally. The waste included *insert description of waste*."
Based on this information an officer will attend and take further photographs and investigate the waste.
We do not share witness details with the suspect. Should a case for prosecution be presented to court by the investigating officer, the personal details of a witness are not shared, however the witness statement will be disclosed to the defence. The witness may also be required to attend court should the defendant plead "not guilty".
Throughout March our Street Cleansing Team have been working hard to ensure that all illegal deposits of waste and litter are removed from the community. The Cleansing Team play an extremely important role in the Cleaner Neighbourhoods Team. Not only do they work tirelessly on the front line every day to keep the area tidy, but they work closely with the Enforcement Officers to provide evidence against waste crimes, highlight suspicious activities and give feedback on changes in the area.
The Cleansing Tean removed illegally deposited waste from a bin yard in Harehills. Evidence retreived is passed on to the Enforcement Team to investigate.
Back Nice View cleared of excess domestic waste
Cleansing, Enforcement and Refuse collaborate to tackle the domestic waste issues ongoing on Back Nice View. Large receptacles will be installed for the residential flats above these shops will which safely contain all waste between collections. Any further waste that is found outside these receptacles once installed will be investigated.
Similar concerns were raised about Back Hill Top Mount (below). Again, large receptacles have been ordered for the domestic waste produced by the flats above the commercial units and the area will continue to be monitored.
Seaforth Place & Seaforth Terrace Cleansed
The Street Cleansing Team completed a deep clean of Back Seaforth Place and Back Seaforth Terrace removing large items and other fly tipped waste. These zones are part of the Public Space Protection Order and evidence retrieved from the deposits will support enforcement action under the Order.
Large fly tip removed from Back Seaforth Place by the Street Cleansing Team
Back Seaforth Terrace cleansed of domestic waste
Fly tipped waste removed from Rossington Place
Cleansing Team removed domestioc waste strewn over the back street
Enforcement officers attended the street and retrieved evidence from the deposit. The Street Cleansing team removed all bulk allowing ease of access once more.
Cross Roseville Road - Ongoing Action
The Cleansing Team removed another large fly tip from Cross Roseville Road. Enforcement Officers accompanied and were able to retrieve evidence from the waste prior to removal. Pest Control will be attending the area to address reported rodent activity.
Whilst on site, Enforcement Officers were able to take follow up action against a number of businesses that were failing to manage commercial waste correctly.
Fixed Penalty Notices (FPNs) are issued to those who have committed an offence and gives them an opportunity to take responsibility for having committed the offence. The following FPNs have been issued in March:
- 22 x £75 fines issued for breaches of the Public Space Protection Order (pursuant to Section 67 of the Anti Social Behaviour Crime & Policing Act 2014)
- 1 x £300 fine issued for a fly tipping offence (pursuant to Section 33 of the Environmental Protection Act 1990).
- 2 x £100 fines issued to business for failing to contain and manage commercial waste correctly (pursuant to Section 47 of the Environmental Protection Act 1990)
- 2 x £200 fines issued to households for failing to dispose of domestic waste correctly (pursuant to Section 34 of the Environmental Protection Act 1990)
Contact Cleaner Neighbourhoods Team (East):
Report environmental issues & waste crimes by clicking here.
Email: eneaction@leeds.gov.uk
Call: 0113 535 1331
Follow us on Social Media:
Facebook: Cleaner Neighbourhoods Team
Please note that these accounts are not monitored 24/7 and any issues should be reported by the contacts shown above.
For up-to-date information about Coronavirus, click here.
|
