Liverpool City Council is to take further action against fly-tipping and littering by hiring an external partner for additional enforcement. Responding to feedback from surveys that showed residents wanted action against illegal waste, the council provisionally interviewed various suppliers last December and invited open applications. The contract award is scheduled for March, with the winning bidder set to start work later in 2025. The move reflects Liverpool council’s plans to improve environmental standards through a taskforce recommended by the Cabinet last year.
The council will also adjust the costs for Fixed Penalty Notices and accelerate enforcement of efforts to counter fly-tipping and littering. The removal of fly-tipping alone costs upwards of £1m each year, with 90% of reports being cleared and responded to within five working days. The council launched a new Environmental Enforcement Team in summer 2024 to patrol streets and investigate environmental crimes, as well as working alongside Merseyside Police for waste carrier checks. The team has grown since its inception, with capacity set to double in coming months.
The external partner will work alongside the council taskforce and the team to eliminate illegal waste, increase awareness of correct waste disposal and clamp down on instances of illegal dumping, littering and dog-fouling. Liverpool City Council additionally provides the option for free bulky item collections of up to five large items such as furniture for recycling or waste disposal centers. Concerned people can also report incidents of fly-tipping on the council’s website.
Councillor Laura Robertson-Collins, Liverpool City Council’s Cabinet Member for Communities, Neighbourhoods and Streetscene, commented on the scale of the issue, stating: “We’ve cleared over 20,000 instances of illegally dumped waste, many of which have been reported by concerned residents … We’ve already taken significant steps and the next step is to expand our operations through an external partner. Our procurement strategy is focused on finding the best possible partner to achieve our aims of tackling fly-tipping, littering and dog-fouling across Liverpool.
Read the full article on Liverpool Express here: Read More
