The Royal Borough of Greenwich is investing £5million to crack down on fly-tipping criminals and make sure its borough is kept clean and tidy.
The multi-million-pound investment will put more officers on the streets to catch crooks, provide new ways to get rid of waste and give residents a reward if they help the council prosecute dumpers.
Councillor Anthony Okereke, Leader of the Royal Borough of Greenwich, said: “Fly-tipping is lazy and criminal, and we’re not putting up with this s*** anymore. We’re collecting around 841 tonnes of dumped rubbish a year, which costs our residents over £800,000 a year. That is the equivalent of 50 double decker buses – that’s unacceptable when the vast majority of residents do the right thing and keep the borough clean.
“We’ve heard loud and clear from residents that you’re sick of fly-tipping in our borough - and so are we. That’s why we’re investing millions to get things done in Greenwich.”
Councillor Jackie Smith, Cabinet Member for Inclusive Economy, Business, Greenwich Supports and Environmental Services, said: “We’re making it harder for cowboy criminals to get away with dumping - but we’re also making it easier for residents to get rid of rubbish properly. More CCTV, a dedicated task force, tougher punishments and better services - we're cracking down on fly-tipping for good.”
The funding will be used to double the council's enforcement teams and install new CCTV to help catch fly-tippers. The council will be naming and shaming offenders and introducing a public reward scheme for residents who help it catch fly-tippers in the act.
The council has already boosted its local fly-tipping task force teams from five to eight. Now, its creating an additional task force to clear fly-tipping hotspots in real time, introducing local skip days and we’re improving its bulky waste collection service too.
This investment comes from ringfenced grants and the council's negotiations with developers to secure £60million that it can use to focus on the things that it knows really matter to residents – because they matter to the council too. The money is part of the council's Getting Things Done drive which can’t be used to offset any future deficits.
Announcements will be made weekly: Visit royalgreenwich.gov.uk/Getting-Things-Done or follow the council on WhatsApp to be the first to know.