£3 Million cost of dropped litter

Rochdale Borough’s Cabinet Member for Environment and Sustainability, Councillor Wera Hobhouse, has revealed the cost of dropped litter and fly tipping in the Borough is a staggering £3 Million a year!  That is the cost to Council Tax Payers in the Borough for collecting 4,500 tonnes of litter in Heywood, Middleton, the Pennines and Rochdale.  

Councillor Hobhouse said: “People dropping litter have got to aware that they are irresponsibly contributing to a higher level of Council Tax.  This Council has an obligation to keep our borough clean and that is a responsibility we take very seriously.  I am afraid the people who litter our borough don’t realise that they are contributing to the already, unfair Council Tax.  I’ll tell you today that you are disgrace who let our Borough down!

Councillor Hobhouse continued: “The Council is working hard to provide an adequate deterrent to people, anyone dropping litter, including cigarette butts and chewing gum, in Rochdale borough is risking a £75 fixed penalty notice. Staff will hand out hundreds of boxes to help smokers dispose of their butts responsibly. Rochdale town centre also has special bins for chewing gum.”