An innovative new pilot scheme designed to understand the root causes of fly-tipping with a view to achieving long-term solutions has been initiated in a small community.
Carlin How, in the Brotton area, has been chosen NOT because it is one of the worst areas for fly-tipping – it isn’t - but because of its strong community spirit.
The idea is for lessons to be learned in the area which will lead to solutions for the entire borough and beyond.
There are two related schemes. The first focuses on engaging – in detail – with residents in the area. The second will focus on enforcement and investigation of the crime.
Grant funding has come from Government and a ‘joined-up’ approach has been adopted by the Council involving colleagues from a number of teams from across the authority.
Cllr Adam Brook, Cabinet Member for Neighbourhoods, said:
“Fly-tipping is a scourge on our communities and must be stopped. I very much welcome this project which will engage with the people about what they think is the best way forward in their own community. I’d like to stress that it is very much because of that community spirit that we’ve chosen Carlin How – it is by no means among the worst places for this problem but we know people will work with us to come up with solutions to stop this crime.
“I also have a clear message for anyone who fly-tips: be warned. You will be caught and prosecuted.”
The first scheme began last month and engages with residents in specific terrace housing streets in Carlin How where there is existing good engagement and a desire to improve fly-tipping issues predominantly in alleyways.
Residents are being supported to complete a household survey to identify genuine barriers and reasons for fly in-tipping behaviour. Residents will be given information about the household duty of care via various campaign materials and will be invited to a family fun day event at Jubilee Hall on 1 August. The community will be encouraged and supported to comply with disposing of waste responsibly and methods will be shared for upcycling, reusing, and recycling wherever possible. Fly-tipping incidents will be actively and visibly investigated, and fly-tipping offenders held to account.
The second scheme will use CCTV camera footage to strengthen enforcement activities in the remote Kilton Thorpe Lane area prone to large scale illegal dumping of waste. Offenders will be held to account and the community will have the opportunity to explore methods to reimagine the space and change people’s perceptions.
Integral to the approach is strengthened cross team partnerships, with representatives from Waste & Recycling, Environment, Enforcement, Housing standards, Healthy Communities, and Community Safety & Anti-Social Behaviour, working together with external partners and the community to support the whole picture relating to residents and families living in the rural area properties and promoting and nurturing innovative ideas to tackle fly-tipping behaviour.
The aspiration is for the development of a lasting supportive partnership that will continue long after the pilot schemes end. Learnings will be shared, successful interventions rolled out in other wards affected by the same issues, and the findings will be used to support informing future policies and procedures.
Funding for the schemes have been provided by Rural Payments Agency on behalf of Defra and evaluation will take place in October this year.