The report was to notify Members of the forthcoming Recycling events planned for the December period.  Officers would raise awareness of recycling by answering questions, provide advice and handing out rolls of recycling sacks and food waste bags to residents.  

The report would update members on the Love Essex 2017 #CrimeNotToCare campaign which was launched on Monday 4^th September and ran for six weeks.  Brentwood Borough Council held one of the Essex two launch events on Friday 8^th September 2017, where Street Scene Operatives built a large fly tip using a third of the items that they had collected that week from the Borough as a visual example of the scale of fly tips.  Staff from Street Scene and Environmental Health were joined by Keep Britain Tidy representatives and Councillors to talk to the public about fly tipping.  The waste on display was a third of what had been collected from fly tips in the Borough that week and it was certainly a talking point with many passers-by stopping to take pictures and ask questions about it.  The Leader of the Council did an interview with BBC Look East at the scene which was aired that evening.  The press coverage for the launch week had been comprehensive so hopefully got the message out to residents throughout Essex. 

Environmental Health Officers undertook a Stop and Search activity with the Police within the campaign period in an operation to prevent fly tipping.  Stops were made on vehicles that were or could be carrying waste and drivers were checked to make sure they had waste transfer information and a license to transport and dispose of commercial waste they carry.  Two vehicles were found to be suspicious and would be followed up to ensure they were disposing of commercial waste correctly.  Fixed penalty notices of up to £600 could be issued for contraventions of carrying or disposing of waste without a license or waste transfer notice.  The officers would be out again on a regular basis doing the same operation.  The Environmental Health Officers had also shown the police officers what to look for when stopping those who may be illegally transporting commercial waste.  This would include waste generated from a business or from a business activity such as debris that might have been handled by a builder or the garden waste that a gardener may have moved.  Officers were also in regular communication with the local police regarding looking out for vehicles of interest and fly tipping information sharing.       

Cllr Kendall requested year on year figures for fly tipping incidents in Essex based on what was recorded in point 3.2 of the report.  

A motion was MOVED by Cllr Cloke and SECONDED by Cllr Mrs Slade to approve the recommendations in the report. 

A vote was taken by a show of hands and it was RESOLVED UNANIMOUSLY that: 

1.    Members note and support the arrangements for the forthcoming Christmas Recycling Road Show events to be held during December 2017.

2.    Members note details of the recent #CrimeNotToCare Campaign and local activities to help raise awareness regarding Duty of Care. 

Reasons for recommendations 

Holding road shows could assist when contributing to increasing recycling and to encourage a change in behaviour for those who think it was acceptable to drop litter as well as answering questions residents may have. 

To raise residents awareness about Householders “Duty of Care” for disposing their rubbish responsibility.