Neath Port Talbot Council To Clamp Down On Litter Louts

Most people want to live in places that are clean, green and safe; and cleanliness makes a huge difference to the quality of life in our communities. It also affects how attractive a place is to visit or run a business. ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

But there are some who still don’t get the message that littering is unacceptable and anti-social, and an unnecessary cost to the community. ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

So from this April, the Council is employing extra enforcement officers to pursue and prosecute those people that litter and fly-tip. ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

Additional signage will go up around the county borough to remind people of this.
Neath Port Talbot Council spends around £2m per year on clearing up all types of litter, dog fouling, fly tipping and addressing “grot spot” areas. Money that could be put to much better use. ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

For example including the necessary traffic management it costs around £23,000 each time to litter pick the A465 in the County Borough. ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

Two additional Enforcement Officers will join our current team of six, to issue on the spot fines and undertake prosecutions with legal colleagues. ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

This approach is showing results. Recent figures released by the Welsh Government show that Neath Port Talbot came out on top as the highest performing local authority for fly-tipping prosecutions in Wales in 2015/16. ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

Some extra funding will also be spent on additional cleansing work in the centre of Neath, Port Talbot and Pontardawe where the current cleaning regime of early morning to mid-afternoon will be extended into early evening. ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

There will also be some extra roadside cleansing with an additional ‘fast road’ team being employed to carry out enhanced cleansing on highways that require traffic management controls. ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

Councillor Ali Thomas OBE, Leader of Neath Port Talbot Council said:
“We want our County Borough to look its best, for our residents to feel proud and for visitors to leave with the right impression. ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

“Littering has an impact on our beautiful countryside as well as being an unnecessary cost to us all. ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

“Our Neighbourhood teams are working hard to clear litter but we shouldn’t have to run around after a handful of people who don’t care about the environment” ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

“No-one wants to be handing out fines but if that’s what it takes to make some people wake up then that’s what the Council is going to have to do more of.” ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​