Stop the drop – or pay the penalty

The Big Clean

Rochdale Council spent £2.75m clearing 3,655 tonnes of litter from the streets last year, and as part of the Big Clean campaign the council is clamping down on those who continue to flout the litter law.

The council has the power to impose fixed penalty notices to anyone caught littering, which includes dropping cigarette butts. Enforcement officers patrol the borough frequently and are able to issue on the spot notices of £75.

Councillor Wera Hobhouse, cabinet member for environment and sustainability said: “The council doesn’t want to impose fines, but it will do if people are caught littering. There is absolutely no excuse for dropping litter and we should all be helping to make our area a cleaner, brighter place for all who live, work and visit here.

“The message is simple - put litter in the bin, or if there isn’t a bin around take it home with you and put it in your refuse bin. Money is hard to come by for lots of people at the moment so save yourself £75 and do the decent thing.”

Litter is not only an environmental issue but it also costs the council and taxpayers money that could be better spent on other things.

Roger Ellis, Chief Executive of the Council, explained: “As part of the Big Clean, we want to make sure people get the message that litter will not be tolerated – and we will penalise anyone caught dropping it.

“Our street cleaning operatives work hard to keep the streets clean, but the community needs to take ownership too. Most people look after the area that they live in, but we need to stop the small minority of residents who throw litter from doing it in the first place. The responsibility to keep our area tidy lies with both the council and with the local community.”

Residents are being urged to make a real difference to their area by working with the council to host a Big Clean litter pick.

If you want to organise a litter pick in your area or you want to report a grot spot, call the Big Clean hotline on 0845 226 1800 or email environmental.management@rochdale.gov.uk