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Littering: Northern Ireland councils crack down at hotspots

Getty Images Beach litterGetty Images

Three councils in Northern Ireland are using private contractors to crack down on littering and dog fouling.

The year-long pilot will target people who "flout the rules" and officers can issue £80 fines for dropping rubbish or failing to pick up dog waste.

Litter enforcement officers issued 54 fines on their first day of work in Causeway Coast and Glens council.

The fines were issued in response to the "irresponsible disposal of tobacco products and fast-food packaging".

The pilot will run in the Mid and East Antrim, Causeway Coast and Glens, and Armagh, Banbridge and Craigavon council areas.

Failure to pay may result in "prosecution and a much higher fine being imposed by the court as well as a potential criminal record", a Causeway Coast and Glens Borough Council spokesperson said.

"The enhanced enforcement is a timely warning to the public that they must bin their litter properly or be left counting the cost."

Waste Investigations Support & Enforcement (Wise) has teamed up with Mid and East Antrim Borough Council and Causeway Coast and Glens Borough Council to tackle littering.

Body-worn cameras

The councils said officers will work with the public to identify hot spot areas where littering and dog-fouling offences continue to happen.

Wise managing director John Dunne said measures to tackle "environmental crime" will be used.

He said officers will use "wireless body-worn cameras and a handheld computer which will confirm the identity of an alleged offender before issuing a fixed penalty notice".

"Our officers have been instructed to communicate openly with the community with the overall aim of inclusivity for those in the area to play their part in the task ahead," Mr Dunne said.

Causeway Coast and Glens Borough Council A year-long trial between Causeway Coast and Glens Borough Council and Waste Investigations Support & Enforcement (WISE) to tackle littering and dog fouling across the boroughCauseway Coast and Glens Borough Council
A year-long trial will try to tackle littering and dog fouling across Causeway Coast and Glens Borough

The Mayor of Causeway Coast and Glens Borough Council, Richard Holmes, said officers will be on the ground seven days a week issuing on-the-spot fines.

"It should soon get the message out there that we are serious about this matter," he said.

"There is no excuse for spoiling our borough and I would think many people will believe we are right to be targeting offenders in this way."

He said despite ongoing efforts around education and awareness raising, a "financial penalty is the only realistic deterrent".

Lisburn and Castlereagh City Council New dispensers were installed in Lisburn and Castlereagh City Council to tackle dog foulingLisburn and Castlereagh City Council
New dispensers were installed in Lisburn and Castlereagh City Council to tackle dog fouling

In the Lisburn and Castlereagh City Council area new dog mess bag dispensers have been installed, after mounting pressure from residents to tackle dog-fouling,

The dispensers will be located at Hillsborough Park, Lough Moss Leisure Centre and Billy Neill MBE Country Park - bringing the total number of dispensers in the council area to seven.

A council spokesperson said dog fouling was "anti-social and a health hazard".

What are other councils doing?

  • Mid Ulster Council: Litter enforcement is carried out by the council's Clean Neighbourhood team. However, the council is considering the use of other enforcement mechanisms, including the use of private contractors, in the future.
  • Ards and North Down Borough Council: It deploys an in-house team of on-the-ground enforcement officers to target and monitor littering and dog fouling hot spots - which in 2019/20 resulted in the issue of 1,091 fixed penalty notices for general littering offences and 153 fixed penalty notices for dog fouling offences.
  • Derry City and Strabane District Council: It employs its own litter wardens and dog wardens who issue fines to anyone caught littering or not cleaning up after their dog. It has been running a campaign called 'Why would ye?' over recent months which encourages everyone to dispose of litter responsibly.
  • Antrim and Newtownabbey Borough Council: It has a team of seven enforcement officers who enforce the littering and dog control legislation as part of their duties.
  • Belfast City Council: It organises its own processes for issuing litter fines and fines for dog fouling.
  • Lisburn and Castlereagh City Council: At a recent council meeting, it was agreed that options would be explored to increase patrolling due to increasing environmental crime and this work is under way. The council does not currently use external contractors to tackle environmental crime and uses existing staff resources.
  • Fermanagh and Omagh District Council: The enforcement function for dog fouling and littering is carried out by council officers.
  • Newry, Mourne and Down District Council: Littering and dog fouling are regulated by council enforcement officers through proactive patrols throughout the district and in response to complaints received.