Litter enforcement work set to continue in Swansea

LITTERBUGS in Swansea are set to be targeted as plans are made to extend the use of litter enforcement.

An external litter enforcement service recruited by Swansea Council has issued nearly 3,500 fixed penalty notices to the public during a 12-month trial for throwing litter on the ground.

Now a report is due to be considered which seeks to continue with the litter clampdown for a further two years.

The report also considers the potential for enforcement officers to issue fixed penalties for other issues, including dogs that are not on dog-friendly beaches and anti-social behaviour.

Cllr Mark Thomas, Cabinet Member for Environment & Transportation, said: “The trial litter enforcement scheme has been a huge success and led to a much cleaner city in terms of litter on the ground.

“The addition of an external enforcement team to complement our own enforcement teams means we can have more impact in the city and carry out the work residents have asked us to do.”

Of the 3,460 fixed penalties issued for littering, 303 ended up in court for failing to pay the fixed penalty or for challenging the offence.

A large majority of tickets issued were related to cigarette litter. The Council’s cleansing teams have reported a significant reduction of this type of litter in the city and as a result they have been required to empty the ashtray section of litter bins more frequently.

The report, due to be considered at Cabinet next week also states the tackling dog fouling will also remain a priority.

Cllr Thomas added: “Residents regularly tell us about where they want us to carry out more enforcement. Issues such as dog fouling are always very high on their list and because of this we will continue to make this a priority. We also want residents to come forward with information if they know of ongoing dog fouling problems in their community.”