Effective Partnership Working: Litter Clearing Notices

1. Effective Partnership Working:Litter Clearing Notices Presented by Craig Heppinstall- Team Manager Anti Social Behaviour Unit, Wakefield Council

10. Introduction The purpose of a Litter Clearing Notice (LCN) is to enable Local Authorities to require the occupier (or if the land is unoccupied, the owner) of land which is defaced by litter or refuse to clear up the land, and, where appropriate, take steps to prevent it from becoming heavily littered again.

11. Pilot Scheme with Wakefield and District Housing Initial meeting in August 2010 Two key areas identified for pilot scheme: • Tombridge Crescent, Kinsley • Park Estate, South Kirkby

12. Tombridge Crescent • 192 properties • Mixture of terraced and semi- detached properties • Mixture of tenure (owner occupier, WDH and private rented accommodation) • Area of high deprivation 3 properties identified for further action

13. Tombridge Crescent, Kinsley

14. Tombridge Crescent

15. Tombridge Crescent

16. Park Estate, South Kirkby • 112 properties • Mixture of terraced and semi- detached properties • Mixture of tenure (owner occupier, WDH and private rented accommodation) • Area of high deprivation and crime 1 property identified for further action PROPERTY CLEARED WITHOUT ANY FORMAL ACTION

17. Step 1: Property identified and checks carried out to identify tenure (owner occupier/ WDH property) Step 2: LCN letter 1 produced and posted to address Step 3: Patroller sets 9 day reminder to re-visit property Step 4: Patroller visits property and if required requests LCN letter 2 Step 5: LCN letter 2 produced and posted to address Step 6: Patroller sets a 9 day reminder to re-visit property Step 7: Patroller visits property and if required requests a Litter Clearing Notice (LCN) is produced Step 8: LCN is hand delivered to subjects address Step 9: Property re-visited in 28 days and (£100.00) fixed penalty notice is produced if land is defaced by litter Step 10: Prosecution file prepared if FPN is unpaid (Possible £2,500 fine at Court) Wakefield Council- Our Process

18. Referral Process for Wakefield and District Housing Step 1: Identify property which meets LCN standards as set out by DEFRA (Level C and above) Step 2: Photograph area Step 3: E-mail photograph to ASBU (Photograph must contain the date, time photograph was taken, address of property and signature of officer) Step 4: LCN letter 1 produced and posted to subject address RSL’s to receive a copy of all subsequent letters/ notices

19. Review • Pilot scheme reviewed in January 2011 • Rolled out to other departments within WDH in February 2011 (Estate Managers, Senior Estate Officers and Estate Officers) • 58 members of staff in total • Works alongside annual garden surveys

20. Effective Partnership Working • RSL training event in February 2011 • Referral process for Litter Clearing Notices opened to all RSL’s in attendance: Sadeh Lok Riverside Housing Accent Foundation Guinness Northern Counties Chevin Housing Jephson Housing Habinteng Yorkshire Housing Association

21. Benefits Of Partnership Working • Addressing key subject for community • Forms part of key documents within Wakefield Council (Community Strategy: Developing Knowledge Communities and Safer and Stronger Communities Partnership Plan) • Allows RSL’s to address conduct of owner occupiers on their estates • True partnership working (Total Place) • Conserving resources and money

22. Benefits Of Partnership Working REMOVING OPPORTUNITY FOR PROFFESIONAL FLY-TIPPERS TO MAKE EVEN MORE MONEY AT THE COMMUNITIES EXPENSE

23. Recent Successes

24. Court Result • £340.00 fine • Litter Clearing Notice still in force • Works in default scheduled at cost to defendant

25. Recent Successes

26. Cleared

27. Recent Successes

28. Cleared

29. Recent Successes

30. Court Result • £250.00 fine • £262.00 costs • £15.00 victim surcharge • Litter Clearing Notice still in force

31. Future Development • West Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Service • West Yorkshire Police (33 Police Community Support Officers funded by Wakefield Council)

32. 2010 Statistics LCN1 letters issued: 200 LCN2 letters issued: 83 Notices: 25 FPN’s issued: 10

33. 2011 Statistics LCN1 letters issued: 692 LCN2 letters issued: 224 Notices: 39 FPN’s issued: 6