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Nuneaton & Bedworth Borough Council has selected District Enforcement (District), a specialist enforcement company offering environmental crime enforcement, to support it with achieving its ambition of making the borough a cleaner and safer place for residents and the wider community.
District Enforcement’s officers will seek to engage with the general public and inspire people to protect and take pride in their local community – it has also been delegated powers to issue Fixed Penalty Notices (FPNs) of £100 if it witnesses people unlawfully littering or failing to clean up after their dog, under the borough’s Public Spaces Protection Orders (PSPO).
District Enforcement’s officers have been patrolling Nuneaton & Bedworth Borough Council’s town centres, rural areas and public open spaces since 7 February. Whilst these officers carry the authority to issue FPNs across the borough, they will endeavour, initially, to educate residents and remind them to put their litter, cigarette butts and dog mess in an available bin; or encourage them to take it home with them to avoid littering. It is important to add, the Council has a zero tolerance attitude towards dog fouling and littering offences, and that this new partnership will aim to protect all areas of the borough.
In addition to providing an environmental enforcement service. District will strive to supply wider intelligence to the local authority around other nuisance issues within the community, or deal with it as appropriate if it falls within their remit.
Glen McGrandle, Head of Waste and Transport, Nuneaton & Bedworth Borough Council said: “People should take pride in where they live, and we recognise how frustrating it is for residents to see litter, cigarette butts and dog mess left within their community. We have an excellent waste management team who strive to keep our spaces clean and safe for the general public to use and enjoy; however, a small minority of people do continue to commit environmental crime offences that detract from our team’s efforts, and it’s these people we’re trying to reach and influence.
“Therefore, we are introducing proactive enforcement to combat this unacceptable behaviour and tackle such anti-social activities across the borough. We will be working in partnership with District Enforcement to align and uphold Nuneaton & Bedworth Borough Council’s vision and values, and feel confident that taking a collaborative, professional and targeted approach to solving this problem will contribute to a positive behavioural change across a small minority, and positively impact our community.”
Dyl Kurpil, Managing Director, District Enforcement added: “We are excited to be working in partnership with Nuneaton & Bedworth Borough Council and to play our part in keeping such a beautiful borough clean and tidy. Our service has been set up to be cost neutral for Nuneaton & Bedworth – our officers are never incentivised to meet financial targets or goals, and our sole ambition is to reduce the amount of illegal littering and dog fouling. Our dedicated team of officers will, on a daily basis, patrol the borough and take a fair and proportionate approach to educating the public and issuing FPNs for environmental crimes witnessed. The team patrolling is personable, has been trained to the highest standards, acts with integrity and is well-versed in the legislation, policies and procedures, and conflict management – should any of this need to be discussed with members of the public.”
District Enforcement’s expertly trained officers receive ongoing professional development to maintain high standards. As they execute their duties, they will wear body cameras to capture interaction between officers and members of the public. District has the power to issue FPNs of £100 for littering and PSPO breaches (reduced to £80 if paid within 10 days). If an FPN is not paid, the offender could face prosecution and a larger fine.
www.district-enforcement.co.uk
www.nuneatonandbedworth.gov.uk/site/
