Fly tipping continues to blight Burnley

BURNLEY Council has prosecuted 34 people over fly-tipping and waste offences in four months with another 44 on their way to court.

It has also issued 320 Fixed penalty notices for flytipping, littering and side waste offences for the period March 1 to June 25.

Giving the enforcement action figures to the authority’s full council meeting on Wednesday its environment boss Cllr H oward Baker: “Fly-tipping is the most distressing thing in my life. Not just fly-tipping but litter dropping and everything in Burnley.

“It’s been prone to it all my life.

“I look back 60 or 70 years to Keep Burnley Tidy’ and it’s had little effect.

“I was in Berlin a few months ago and I counted the number of cigarette ends and i got to seven perhaps eight in a mile and a half of walking.

“And then I go outside The Big Window and I count seven or eight every quarter of an inch. It’s terrible.”

In his report on Environmental Enforcement Enforcement Action Figures from March 1 to June 25 Cllr Baker revealed there had been:

• 34 individuals prosecuted for waste offences (these prosecutions were for failing to remove waste after legal notices were served);

• 44 individuals referred to the Magistrates Court for prosecution;

• 320 Fixed penalty notices for flytipping, littering and side waste offences; and

• Seven Fixed penalty notices for dog fouling/dog exclusion.

Cllr Baker said: “Streetscene enforcement officers are proactively pursuing rogue waste carriers with the help of Lancashire Constabulary.

“Stop and search events are planned throughout the borough.

“Dog foul enforcement remains a priority for officers, and I can confirm that early morning patrols are underway with the council’s enforcement contractor LA Support.

“During May we did see an increase in Anti-social behaviour (ASB) reports of 21 per cent when compared to April.

“These increases have been the result of some isolated cases, and it is pleasing to report that ASB reports in the Town Centre fell by 22 [er cent from the previous month.

“In addition, across the borough, May 2024 recorded 13 per cent less ASB than May 2023.

“Regards youth related ASB, which accounts for 23 per cent of all ASB in the town, reports have fallen by 13 per cent.

“In the town centre there was a fall of 60 per cent from April.

“The council’s ASB team received 83 new requests for service in May, an increase from 66 in April, with complaints ranging from neighbour disputes, noise, ASB, and barking dogs.

“The team are currently managing 151 active cases.