The City Council is sharply increasing fines for littering and dog fouling in a citywide crackdown on environmental crime.
Fixed Penalty Notices for littering and dog fouling will be increased from £50 to £75 as the council gets tough on the minority of residents who don’t’ play by the rules, bringing misery to local neighbourhoods.
Council Leader Nick Forbes and Councillors Henri Murison (Quality of Life) and Stephen Lambert (Community Safety and Regulation) will launch the new crackdown with a photo call at 3.45 today at North Kenton Sports Centre, Anfield Road, North Kenton, NE3 3LL.
The new policy acknowledges the negative impact environmental crime has on local neighbourhoods and proposes to tackle it through enforcement measures and by targeting hot spots.
The get-tough approach responds to concerns from the vast majority of residents who have lobbied for a more robust approach to anti-social behaviour and are fed up with the small but significant minority who flout the rules.
In 2011/12 there were 189 fixed penalty notices issued for littering in Newcastle and 99 for dog fouling.
This year, the council has invested £150,000 in reinforcing its environmental crime team, using six additional officers who will be deployed enforcing the new notices from the warden service which has had cuts previously reinstated and posts protected.
The new £75 fixed penalty notice on littering will be introduced from June 1 and the £75 dog fouling notice will be implemented once legislation has been put in place a few weeks thereafter.
The council is committed to introducing new decent neighbourhood standards which will ensure consistent levels of delivery across the city, encouraging responsible behaviour and devolving power and responsibilities to local people.
Councillor Henri Murison, cabinet member for Quality of Life at Newcastle City Council, said: “The administration is committed to delivering its manifesto commitments and putting more of the cost of crimes against the environment and the community, like littering and dog fouling, on the offenders and not the hard working majority.”
“Hard working families across the city tell me they are sick of paying the cost of crimes caused by the minority who don't play by the rules, which is why I am calling time on the people who ruin our neighbourhoods for the rest of us."
Page last updated: 16 May, 2012
