Councillors are being asked to consider plans to implement robust enforcement action against littering and environmental offences.
In addition, they will also consider the prospect of increasing the level of fines issued after the government changed the minimum, default and maximum penalty levels back in April 2018.
The council currently spends over £2m on street cleaning, fly-tip removal and litter bin emptying every year, collecting over 4,000 tonnes of rubbish in the process. This service has been recognised as delivering the best recycling performance of any Unitary City Council in England for the last three consecutive years.
Councillor Anita Harrison, portfolio holder for Streetscene, said: “Despite being a top-performing council, we’re disappointed that a small minority of people actively choose not to take pride in their city by dropping litter. We have approximately 2,000 bins across the city, so there is no excuse for this anti-social behaviour.
“Improving environmental standards is a top priority for the council, and we are prosecuting those who fly-tip. However by taking an even tougher stand on enforcement by increasing the levels of fines, we can deter any potential offenders.”
In August 2017, Hull City Council launched a public vote on plans to combat the issue of littering in Hull, with 89 per cent of those who took part in the consultation voting in favour of litter enforcement.
Councillor Harrison continued: “The public have had their say and told us they want the city to be cleaner place.
“Subject to agreement, our preferred option would be to initiate a pilot project with an external organisation to allow us to assess the overall benefits of the service, monitor and change over time and gauge public feedback, perception and actual improvement in cleanliness to inform future plans.”
If the plans are agreed, the clamp down will be rolled out across the city, and a service specification will be developed to ensure the potential for inappropriate of disproportionate enforcement action is minimised. For example where littering may be accidental, placed next to a full bin or where a young child has dropped litter without their parent’s knowledge.
The proposals will be discussed at the People and Communities Overview and Scrutiny Commission on Thursday 24 January, before being considered by Cabinet on Monday 28 January.
