Cleaner, Safer and Greener campaign led to sharp increase in enforcement notices

A crackdown on littering and dog fouling in Newark and Sherwood has led to a sharp increase in the number of enforcement notices being issued against those who disregard the law.

Newark and Sherwood District Council is taking a tougher stance on this type of law-flouting activity as part of its Cleaner, Safer & Greener campaign.

The campaign to make the district a better place to live, work and visit was launched in July.

Since its launch and November 1 this year, Newark and Sherwood District Council issued a combined total of 22 enforcement notices compared to 4 in the same period last year, which is a 450% increase.

The 22 enforcement notices issued since from the start of the campaign comprise fixed penalty notices, nuisance notices, community protection warnings and community protection notices, covering a range of offences including dog control, dog fouling and littering in the district.

This enforcement activity includes one fixed penalty notice for dog fouling and another issued in response to numerous reports of a dog escaping from its property and harassing members of the public.

The council has also seen a huge upsurge in reports of requests relating to litter and street cleansing, with an increase of 88% compared with the same period last year. In addition, a series of initiatives to tackle litter, fly tipping, dog fouling, anti-social behaviour and crime have taken place since the launch to help deal with the issues.

District council leader David Lloyd said: “We are overwhelmed by how much progress Cleaner, Safer & Greener is making.

"There is still work to be done but the response from the community since the start of the campaign has been fantastic.

“The 88% increase in litter reporting by our residents is a huge step and we want to encourage the public to report blights of litter as soon as they discover it so that we can work to remove it as quickly as possible.

“However, there is still a hard-core minority of society still flouting the law.

"The council is doing more and more to tackle those particular individuals and we want to reinforce the fact that those deliberately spoiling and disrespecting our district will be punished.”

Four new community-based neighbourhood wardens are currently being recruited as part of the campaign to continue the positive progress and to address issues of anti-social behaviour, litter, graffiti, fly tipping and dog fouling.

The council believes that having such roles will increase public awareness of these issues and provide the resources to provide effective enforcement and penalise those who flout the law.

Among the wardens’ responsibilities will be the issuing of fixed penalty notices and work to help promote, among the community, a responsible approach to looking after the environment.

The latest ‘day of action’ in Blidworth saw seven community protection notices for untidy gardens being issued.

Broken trampolines, excessive domestic rubbish and abandoned pet hutches containing old food were among the hazards found in gardens on the day. Not only are these eyesores, but they are likely to lead to issues with rodents and flies. In addition, potentially explosive gas canisters were discovered. If vandalised, these could lead to a catastrophic outcome.

Two days of action ­— major clear ups of two residential areas in the district ­— have already taken place in Newark and Blidworth to tackle issues such as litter, dog fouling and fly-tipping, with another planned for the new year.

A night of action in Newark town centre is also planned for December in which the district council, in partnership with local police and anti-social behaviour officers will tackle issues around the sale of alcohol, drug abuse, taxi licensing and anti-social behaviour associated with the late-night economy.