Hefty fines introduced in anti-litter crackdown

People caught littering in Bristol will soon be liable for fines of up to £75 as part of a new initiative to keep the city clean.

The announcement was made as part of the State of the City address by Bristol mayor Marvin Rees, who last year also introduced the Clean Streets Campaign.

The Mayor said: “Keeping Bristol clean is everyone’s responsibility. I launched the Clean Streets Campaign to encourage people to step up and help keep their local community clean and tidy.

“Although the response has been positive, litter remains a huge issue. We will not tolerate mindless littering in Bristol: it is time for us to take pride in our city and stamp out this thoughtless behaviour.”

Rees recently announced plans for an Autumn ‘litter blitz’

Beginning in November 2017, tougher enforcement methods will be put in place to catch those who continue to litter, fail to clean up dog mess and deface property. Bristol City Council will be enlisting the help of Kingdom, an organisation that works with local authorities across the UK to tackle environmental crime.

Operations director John Dunne said: “Kingdom is delighted to be working in partnership with Bristol City Council with the aim of reducing the amount of littering and dog fouling occurring on streets and public places in Bristol.

“Our aim is to reduce the amount of litter unlawfully dropped, resulting in a safer, greener and cleaner city.”

Bags of rubbish cleared from the Malago during a community clean-up

Those caught dirtying the streets will face an on-the-spot fine of £75, with a £25 reduction for early payment. Those who refuse to pay the fees could be taken to court and face costs as high as £2,500.

Street-cleaning currently costs Bristol City Council £6m per year and in 2016 around 7,000 tonnes of waste was collected.

The new scheme will come at no extra cost to the council, and instead will be funded through the payment of fixed penalty notices. Proceeds from-on-the spot fines will go towards tackling environmental issues around the city.

The enforcement company will begin by running a trail period in the city centre, later expanding to other areas if it is deemed successful.

An overflowing bin in Castle Park after a sunny day of picnicking

The move has been met with positivity from local people. Ben Barker, community activist from Greater Bedminster said: “Most people understand that litter is a bad thing. It disfigures our beautiful parks and makes our retail districts unattractive to all apart from rats, and often it smells.

“Most people understand, and are prepared to help by picking up or not dropping litter, but a few haven’t got the message or don’t care. The council’s new enforcement policy will help to bring this minority in line with the rest of us and make us proud to live in Bristol.”

Raluca McKett, who runs the Malago Greenway Community Project, echoed this sentiment: “If people don’t care about anything else, at least they care about their pockets. We hope that the enforcement will show people that littering is not acceptable and that there are better ways to deal with rubbish.”

Kingdom will begin issuing fines in Bristol city centre from Monday 6 November. To find out more about the plans, visit www.bristol.gov.uk/cleanstreets.