Anti-social behaviour and its impact on the Catchment teams Presented by : Glynn Haworth Countryside Ranger

1. Anti-social behaviour and its impact onthe Catchment teamsPresented by : Glynn Haworth Countryside Ranger All four Catchment teams experience a wide range of anti-social and urban pressure on access, recreation and water catchment areas. Mostly affected on a daily basis are the Central Area and the Southern areas as they are both surrounded by large urban conurbations, e.g., Manchester, Bolton, Blackburn, Oldham, Rochdale, Bury, etc. The Northern team and Bowland team suffer less anti-social behaviour possibly due to their location in more rural areas and within the Lake District National Park, which has more responsible visitors. UU estates seem to be an easy target for fly tipping and anti-social behaviour as town centre ASBO’S push out some activities, which are now occurring in rural areas. Here people can carry out anti-social behaviour where man power and resources are thinner on the ground, With less chance of being caught.

2. Anti-social Behaviour • 3 categories of ASB. Street problems , nuisance neighbours and the one which impacts mostly on UU is : Environmental crime, ithas a huge impact on our estates and for the communities we operate in. • It can ruin public spaces, create water quality issues and is expensive to clean up. Environmental crime can include: • fly-tipping - dumping household or commercial rubbish in private or public areas • littering - deliberately dropping litter • Dog Fouling, graffiti - spray-painting or • marking or defacing private property. • Vandalism - damaging private property or facilities such as pay and display machines. • Damage to fencing and fires in public open spaces • Illegal activities or Misuse of private or public open spaces

3. United Utilities land is regularly used as a dumping ground by rogue fly-tippers. Hundreds of fly tipping incidents a year are uncovered throughout the North West Region. Costing thousands of pounds of incidental Ranger and staff time to remove and lost revenue from pay and display machines through vandalism. Since April 2008 The Central Team have spent £4,280.00 with a similar amount being spent in the Southern Area of £5776.00+ in revenue money removing fly tipping, mainly domestic household waste, tyres and white items following the introduction of the WEEE Directive. Around £2500 has been allocated towards fly-tipping And vandalism in the North area mainly on car park areas , with £2500 being spent on a vandalised toilet block The Bowland Area mainly suffers from 4X4 off roading issues ! The Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment (WEEE) Directive came into force in January 2007. Also the End-of-Life Vehicles Regulations 2003 Has seen caravans and cars abandoned on UU land again UU pay to have these removed. More new directives coming in will add to the problem. Fly tipping

4. Fly tipping • UU have recently been involved with • providing information to ENCAMS and the E.A for The Fly Capture database which was set up in 2004 by Defra, the Environment Agency and the Local Government Association. • The aim of the database is to build the evidence base for fly-tipping in order to inform future policy making and to provide local authorities with a management tool which enables a problem solving approach to be taken to fly-tipping.

5. Some interesting data came out of the recent visitor counting initiative. Some car parks have been busier during night time , due to a number of anti social behaviours This has assisted us in targeting problem car park areas and we have worked on joint operations with the Police to tackle the issues late a t night which have also caused noise and nuisance to residents and neighbours of UU Some of these car parks are now locked at night time and also the data has been used to assist the Police with getting extra resources to patrol the areas of high use in the evenings resulting in arrests on UU car parks of a car ringing group of criminals A joint Police Operation in the Central Area is planned over two evenings this December to tackle once a gain crime and anti-social behaviour Visitor CountingPeak Times ?

6. Fly tipping – Enforcement, Education and Deterrence • UU Rangers and field staff regularly patrol areas known to attract fly tipping. • We are working in partnership with the Police and a number of local authorities across the region to bring prosecutions wherever possible. • Other methods have been to design fly tipping areas out of the site by creating soil bunds to remove unofficial parking areas and lay-bys. • Erecting barriers to restrict access to vehicles • Erecting visible warning signage • Installing CCTV Cameras through joint initiatives with E.A and Local Authorities • Reporting more occurrences to the E.A and collecting data and evidence to assist with future prosecutions.

7. Tackling 4x4 & illegal off road nuisance Countryside Rangers and Headwork's Controllers have been working together in problem catchment areas. We have been successful in working in multi- agency partnerships with the Police and Local Authorities, across the South and West Pennines to combat illegal access and misuse of water catchment land by four wheel drive vehicles and motocross / enduro bike riders. Issues • damage to SSSI habitat and areas of high landscape value • Landscape erosion problems and increased water quality risk • Destruction and disturbance of ground nesting birds • Damage to property • Injury to general public and livestock • Bikes riding on footpaths and bridleways risking injury to legitimate users

8. Results - Operation Quad Operation Quad ran from Saturday 24/5/08 to Sunday 1/6/08, which was half term and incorporated a Bank Holiday.   In brief the results from the Operation where: • 66 section 59 Police Reform Act warnings (riding on moorland in a manner causing annoyance) • 44 seizures (inc no insurance, s59 seizures, stolen vehicle) • 10 fixed penalties (riding on moorland, no helmets) • 8 summons (no insurance, riding on moorland) • 2 arrests (drink drive/disqualified driving and criminal damage) • plus on 25/5/08 5 arrests (motoring and drugs offences)

9. Theft of infrastructure and assets • An enormous amount of property is constantly disappearing from rural locations. • Linked usually to the market price of stone and high scrap metal prices • Although timber gates also go as quick. • Gates, barriers, dry stone walling and ornate pieces of stonework are stolen sometimes to order or bound for the scrap metal dealers or landscape gardeners , property development etc. In the Central Team Area alone a£12,000 revenue budget set aside for reactive work has been already utilised since April, replacing stolen infrastructure and vandalised property Prevention and deterrents; • Police smart water, • Regular Police Operations • Engraving gates with United Utilities wording, but this adds to increased replacement costs. • Considering alternative materials , such as recycled plastics

10. September 2008 over 50 5ft – 8ft cannabis plants were found growing and being cultivated in a UU woodland at Haslingden Grane. Police said they were the tallest they had ever Seen. On Sunday 25/5/08 there was an unexpected rave at Ding Quarry near Rochdale/Rossendale border.   This involved over 1000 people descending on the area, and raised numerous other issues, involving drugs offences, motoring offences, public order, fire risk and nuisance.   Other activities we have found taking place on UU land

11. Stakeholder Engagement We need to continue to work together on this subject and also possibly develop an integrated approach which seeks to address the key issues of anti-Social behaviour and fly tipping, we too may need to adopt the ASBO zone approach on some of our urban catchments. Working with our partners to deliver the right solutions Look at local reasons for fly tipping. No vans allowed, permits required, high cost for taking to the amenity tip site. Local Civic tip amenity sites (are there not enough of them) Long queues when you get there for example Reduce the rewards. Make it easier for the fly tipper to take the waste to a transfer station or recycle centre – take away the rewards for fly tipping savings that some business and households choose (giving the crook an easy buck) Our four catchment team’s revenue budgets have to be spread a long way every year, they are scrutinised for “best value” and costs for certain kinds of maintenance are fixed through framework agreements. There is little room for manoeuvre. Some essential maintenance sometimes has to be taken off line or schedules reduced in order to release savings in revenue money, needed to deal with anti-social behaviour and fly tipping. Final Thoughts

12. Thank you for listening“its not all bad out there” Naddle, near Thirlmere, Cumbria