Date published: 17 October 2018
Council gets tough on littering in town centre as part of Better Colchester
In a bid to crackdown on littering and associated anti-social behaviour in the town centre, Colchester Borough Council is working with Artemis, an external enforcement agency, to deter those who breach the requirements of the town’s Public Space Protection Order.
The organisation undertook the first in a series of enforcement events over the weekend of Friday 12 and Saturday 13 October- between 6pm and 3am each night.
Over two nights, a team of six enforcement officers issued a total of 55 Fixed Penalty Notices of £100 to those predominantly caught littering or urinating in the street. The income raised from the Fixed Penalty Notices will be reinvested back into projects to keep the town centre a clean and welcoming place.
Cllr Martin Goss, Colchester Borough Council’s Portfolio Holder for Waste, Sustainability and Infrastructure, said: “It is unacceptable that people’s enjoyment of our town during the evening and night time hours is spoilt by those who think it acceptable to use the streets and doorways as toilets or who see fit to clutter the pavements with their litter and discarded food.
“If we want to support a thriving night time economy we need to ensure the town is a clean, safe and welcoming place and we intend to continue to work in partnership with Artemis to help hammer home the message that anyone who blights our town will face a hefty penalty.”
The enhanced enforcement activity supports Colchester Borough Council’s Better Colchester campaign which has seen the council aside around £2 million to deliver a two-year action plan to make Colchester an even better place to live, work in and visit.
The additional investment supports the ongoing work of the town centre Zones Team which recently extended its operational hours over a 7-day week from 5am to 9pm each day and is expanding its work force by a further three zone operatives.
Artemis continues its work this week (15-19 October) with a team of six enforcement officers, in action from 9am to 5pm daily, working alongside the council’s town centre Zone Wardens.
In addition, night-time weekend enforcement events are scheduled to take place monthly with the next one scheduled for Oktoberfest celebrations on the 26 and 27 October.
Page last reviewed: 17 October 2018