The Royal Borough of Greenwich is investing £5million to crack down on fly-tipping criminals and make sure its borough is kept clean and tidy.
The multi-million-pound investment will put more officers on the streets to catch crooks, provide new ways to get rid of waste and give residents a reward if they help the Council prosecute dumpers.
Councillor Anthony Okereke, Leader of the Royal Borough of Greenwich, said: “Fly-tipping is lazy and criminal, and we’re not putting up with this s*** anymore. We’re collecting around 841 tonnes of dumped rubbish a year, which costs our residents over £800,000 a year. That is the equivalent of 50 double decker buses – that’s unacceptable when the vast majority of residents do the right thing and keep the borough clean.
“We’ve heard loud and clear from residents that you’re sick of fly-tipping in our borough – and so are we. That’s why we’re investing millions to get things done in Greenwich.”
Councillor Jackie Smith, Cabinet Member for Inclusive Economy, Business, Greenwich Supports and Environmental Services, said: “We’re making it harder for cowboy criminals to get away with dumping – but we’re also making it easier for residents to get rid of rubbish properly. More CCTV, a dedicated task force, tougher punishments and better services – we’re cracking down on fly-tipping for good.”
The funding will be used to double the Council’s enforcement teams and install new CCTV to help catch fly-tippers. The Council will be naming and shaming offenders and introducing a public reward scheme for residents who help us catch fly-tippers.
The Council has already boosted its local fly-tipping task force teams from five to eight. Now, we’re creating an additional task force to clear fly-tipping hotspots in real time, and we’re improving our bulky waste collection service too.
This investment comes from ringfenced grants and the Council’s negotiations with developers to secure £60million that it can use to focus on the things that it knows really matter to residents – because they matter to the Council too. The money is part of the Council’s Getting Things Done drive which can’t be used to offset any future deficits.
