‘Zero tolerance’ approach taken to littering in Crawley

Thirteen people in Crawley have been hauled up for littering since the borough council announced it was taking a ‘zero tolerance’ approach to the problem.
Litter on the side of a roadLitter on the side of a road
Litter on the side of a road

Last month, the town’s community wardens were told to issue £80 on-the-spot Fixed Penalty Notices to people caught dropping rubbish.

Before then, they were only given a verbal warning and asked to pick up what they had dropped.

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The council said it had decided to get tough after its Streetscene Team ‘noticed an increase in litter, chewing gum and leftover food on their daily rounds of the town’.

Geraint Thomas told a meeting of the full council on Wednesday night that six people had already paid the £80, with the rest expected to do so within the next few days.

While pleased to see more being done to tackle the unpleasant issue, opposition group leader Duncan Crow asked Mr Thomas to recognise that ‘pressure from the Conservative group’ had prompted the change.

He also suggested that littering in Crawley would not have been such a problem if the penalties had been brought in sooner.

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Mr Thomas responded: “I take evidence from officers who talk about this with me and they tell me they have noticed an increased problem in the last few months.

“On that basis, that is why the decision was made.”

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