Solihull sees 1600 cases of fly tipping

THERE has been a sharp increase in cases of fly tipping across Solihull.
In the 12 months to April this year, the borough council received over 1,600 reports of waste being dumped at roadsides, in alleyways and other public places.
This was 400 more cases than were reported in the previous year and the issue has been made the number one priority of the council’s environmental crime team.
Officials will look at new ways to track down offenders and those hauled before the courts face significant fines or even prison sentences. There will also be a number of initiatives to discourage
the problem and related offences, such as dog-fouling, littering and graffiti.
Councillor Karen Grinsell, cabinet member for stronger communities and partnerships, promised that action would be taken to tackle the behaviour of an “irresponsible” minority.
“Every item of litter cleared, every fly poster removed, every fly tip collected and all the graffiti that is cleaned, is as a result of a crime,” she said.
“Simply clearing up after the minority is both costly and unsustainable, and I know you will agree when I say there are more worthy services that your taxes could pay for.”
Over the year-long period, the council also received 632 complaints about littering, 578 reports of dogfouling and 518 about fly posting.
While this latest report did not provide a break-down of where the offences were reported, previous surveys have found that the problems are a particular cause for concern in North Solihull.
One study found that in the 17 wards that make up the borough, concern about various forms of anti social behaviour was higher in Chelmsley Wood than anywhere else.
While environmental crime on the whole remains lower in Solihull than surrounding areas, there has been a national trend for the number of offences increasing.
A spokesman for Keep Britain Tidy said: “Cuts to local authority budgets may have had an impact on the ability of councils to support households and help them ‘do the right thing’ but this is no excuse for people to simply dump their unwanted furniture and fridges on the streets.”