Decision details

To propose the structure and activities to be undertaken by an in-house uniformed environmental crime enforcement team for a two year trial (with options appraisal).  This would enable the Council to utilise those powers available to it to deal with a range of waste offences.  The team will target offenders of serious waste crimes, conduct inspections and litter enforcement.

The Portfolio Holder introduced the report which explored the development of an in-house environmental crime enforcement team. The Government had introduced legislation and enforcement tools to enable Local Authorities to take action towards those who committed certain environmental crimes. These included investigative powers and fixed penalty notices and the proposed team would build on and utilise those powers and existing experience within the Council to target offenders of more serious environmental crimes and litter enforcement. Developing this new team would bring Ashford in line with neighbouring Districts in Kent and would meet public expectation that the Council robustly addressed environmental crime including fly tipping. The report also set out the activities that would be covered by the team and how it would function.

The Deputy Leader said that it was important to note that KCC made a budgetary allocation for each District to deal with fly tipping and he considered it was important for Officers to continue to draw down on that money each year for the benefit of the Borough.

In response to a question about whether the team could assist with fly-tips on private land, it was explained that initially the focus would be on public land but if the team were to expand in the future this was something it could look at. If evidence was discovered as part of a fly-tip on private land that could lead to identifying the culprits, then the new team would be able to investigate that.

Resolved:

That   (i)         the implementation of an In-House Environmental Crime

                     Team be approved for a two year period.

(ii)        a progress and future proposal report would come back to the Cabinet for consideration at the appropriate time.

(iii)       the income from fines be “ring-fenced” to support the service.