Walsall Council leader says fly-tippers need to be ‘grabbed by the throat’ as £4.7 million to tackle scourge approved
The leader of Walsall Council has threatened fly-tippers and those who use them to get rid of waste with the full force of the law.
Councillor Mike Bird said perpetrators have to be "grabbed by the throat or elsewhere in their anatomy" to make sure they don’t reoffend.
The comments were made at a meeting of Walsall Council’s cabinet on Wednesday (September 24) where members unanimously approved the expenditure of £4.7 million to ramp up enforcement efforts.
The money will fund five commitments – a fly-tipping crackdown, a fixed penalty expansion, bulky waste enforcement, the creation of a unified enforcement board and the expansion of CCTV.
Councillor Mike Bird said: “Earlier in the year I made the commitment when I came back as leader to focus on fly-tipping, littering, and everything else that goes with it.
“We won’t hesitate to make sure that the vehicles used for illicit dumping will themselves be crushed. The more we crush, the happier I’ll be.
“They are breaking the law, it’s a criminal offence and criminals, unfortunately, have to be grabbed by the throat or elsewhere in their anatomy to make sure they won’t do it again.
“The residents of the borough must understand they have a duty of care to know where their waste is going to be disposed of. If we find fly-tipped waste and we trace it back to a household, they will receive the full force of a fine. Harsh it may be, but necessary it is.”
Enforcement portfolio holder Councillor Adam Hicken said the funds will also go towards derelict sites and planning violations.
He said: “We’re putting over £4m over the next four years for the increase in the enforcement that our communities have told us that they want and need.
“This is a significant commitment and an investment into our borough. We’ll monitor the progress and adapt where required.”
Councillor Suky Samra, portfolio holder for street scene, added: “For far too long there has been a belief across our borough that it is acceptable for residents to dump their rubbish on the streets and expect the council to simply remove it, which is a huge financial cost to us. That ends now.”
