Thanet’s dedicated Environmental Action Team makes great strides in eight weeks

Eight weeks after its launch, the dedicated Environmental Action Team formed by Thanet District Council has tackled tonnes of waste in Cliftonville West.

Since it launched in September 2017, the Environmental Action Team – a cross departmental group of officers – dedicated to working in Cliftonville in a bid to improve the street scene in the area, has had a positive impact. The team has concentrated its efforts on proactively dealing with the street cleanliness, dumped waste and larger fly tipping issues that were highlighted by as problematic by residents.

In the two months since launch, the team has litter picked 59 streets, removed 19 abandoned or nuisance vehicles, taken away 35 mattresses, 15 sofas or armchairs and a dozen old bicycles.  Fridges and other bulky items of dumped furniture are removed daily. Alleyways in the area have been weeded and strimmed, in addition to clearing dumped rubbish. More than 800 warning letters have been issued, to licence holders in the area, by the private sector licencing team. Thanet’s FIDO (Faeces Intake Disposal Operation) has also been deployed in the streets to clear dog waste.

Cllr Lin Fairbrass, Deputy Leader and Cabinet Member for Community Safety and Environmental Services, said:

“We are determined to make Cliftonville a clean and welcoming environment and to encourage pride in the area from all residents.

“Unfortunately we have seen that the majority of the issues in Cliftonville that are associated with illegally dumped waste and litter are generated within this residential footprint.

“It means that one of our greatest priorities is educating the residents on responsible waste disposal but this is being backed by a zero tolerance approach to escalating matters to enforcement stage, as needed.”

With enforcement a key focus, over 100 notices and warnings have been served on local businesses, residents and managing agents of homes in Cliftonville West. In addition, seven local fly-tippers have been caught, with prosecutions to follow and three £400 fixed penalty notices (FPNs) have been issued.

Persistent parking offenders have also been targeted, with 160 Penalty Charge Notices issued in Cliftonville West, by our civil enforcement officers.