Oldham Lib-Dems want to double on-the-spot fines for littering

Liberal Democrat Opposition Leader, Councillor Howard Sykes MBE, has called for ‘on-the-spot’ fines for littering to be doubled - taking the fine from £100 to £200 - in a bid to crack down on littering offences. 

Councillor Sykes said: “Littering is a huge problem across Oldham and it’s something the current Labour administration just doesn’t have a handle on – despite throwing thousands of pounds at campaigns like ‘Don’t Trash Oldham’.”

In a response to a Freedom of Information Request issued by the Liberal Democrats, Oldham Council confirmed that the number of fixed Penalty Notices (FPNs) issued for littering offences has fallen each year from 636 in 2019 to just 53 in the first half of 2022.

Councillor Sykes added: “These are shocking figures that tell their own story. 

"This is about getting the basics right. 

"We need meaningful penalties and proper enforcement. 

"These numbers must be an embarrassment to the Labour run council.”

According to the Policy Exchange think-tank, who have released a report on tackling littering and other environmental crimes, the government also needs to combat the problem. 

Policy recommendations include higher fines, tax breaks for companies who make biodegradable alternatives to commonly littered products like chewing gum; and published league tables to name and shame underperforming councils. 

The report also suggests the introduction of a ‘littering awareness course’ for offenders – similar to the speeding awareness courses handed out for dangerous driving.

Councillor Sykes said: “I welcome the Policy Exchange report because it points to practical solutions, but I shudder to think where Oldham would rank on a littering league table.”

In response, the Council insist that their actions on littering continue to 'make a difference'.

Cllr Hannah Roberts, Cabinet Member for Neighbourhoods, said: “The decrease in the number of FPNs being issued for littering can be explained because we have made the decision to treat dumped black bins as fly-tipping.

“Before they were treated as littering offences.

"This also means those dumping them can be fined £400 rather than £100.

“We started Don’t Trash Oldham because we listened to what people were telling us - they wanted a cleaner borough, so we acted. 

“We're cleaning up the streets and carried out improvements to neighbourhoods.

"We've also invested more than £500,000 in new and bigger street litter bins 

"What we are doing is making a difference - residents are telling us so. But the council can't do it all, we need people to work with us and do their bit to keep their communities clean.  

“Since we started Don’t Trash Oldham more than 450 people have received fines, plus more than 50 have appeared in courts for dumping rubbish.

"This shows we are tough of environmental crime.

"We will continue to utilise patrols to give out fines for littering, but we have to have evidence when we witness an offence."

You can report fly-tipping and littering to the council via the website link here

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