OLDHAM Council has been heavily criticised after it emerged fly tipping rates in the borough had almost quadrupled.
According to the Department for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA), there were 5,903 incidents in 2021/22, up from 1,572 in the previous year.
That came against an overall drop in the north west and Liberal Democrat councillor Howard Sykes slammed Labour council bosses over their “abysmal” record on environmental crime.
A Freedom of Information response provided to the party group earlier this year revealed that fewer fly-tipping fines were being meted out – just 33 in 2022, down from 50 in 2020.
Oldham Council also confirmed only 64 littering fines were issued in 2022, down from 194 in 2020, when Covid restrictions were still in place.
New CCTV cameras designed to combat the issue were put in place – but Saddleworth, where bulk dumping had taken place, was not on the list of areas they were installed.
And Cllr Sykes has had enough, saying: “We hear a lot of talk about the success of campaigns like Don’t Trash Oldham but the reality is Labour haven’t got a grip on environmental crime.
These numbers are shocking. The fact is, Labour have refused to listen to common sense solutions.
“Liberal Democrats have proposed practical action and found the cash to crack down on people who blight our communities with these offences.
“But Labour councillors chose to vote against more enforcement and a tougher approach.
“The blame for the rise in fly tipping lies squarely with the Labour administration. They have absolutely no grasp on the basics.”
This is complete garbage, (pun intended,) whilst it’s probably still somewhat of an exaggeration to say that there are many people who are having to choose between eating and heating, (particularly when teachers, nurses and all the other reasonably well off groups are jumping onto the, “poverty,” bandwagon,) it’s nonetheless unlikely that a lot of people who are far less well off will be willing or even able to fork out £30 for an unreliable domestic bulk waste collection.
Many may not even have transport to get to a tip.
It’s equally unrealistic to believe that fining people will ever be particularly effective, (and first you have to catch them and prosecute them which also costs money that could be far better spent) since they probably wont be able to pay a fine either; so are we really intending to start sending people to prison for, “littering ?”
This is the council’s responsibility and OMBC should simply get on with it and stop trying to make a buck out of or to pass the buck; else what are they there for ?