Islington residents will soon be seeing a greener, cleaner and safer borough as the council listens to their concerns and uses new laws to tackle quality-of-life issues.<br><br>Islington Council has lobbied for effective legislation for several years in response to residents' demands for cleaner neighbourhoods. Now it has powers to tackle a range of envirocrimes on streets, private land and parks.<br><br>Islington Council is proposing to adopt new powers under the Cleaner Neighbourhoods and Environment Act (CNEA) to tackle a range of residents' gripes, from dog fouling, to litter, to noise pollution. A report detailing the proposals will be discussed by the council's Executive this Thursday (8 February 2007).<br><br>Cllr Lucy Watt, Deputy Leader and Executive Member for Environment, Islington Council said: "Residents have asked for change. We've listened. Tackling these quality-of-life issues will improve the environment for thousands of residents.<br><br>"Residents are fed up with dodging dog poo and discarded fast food containers and it's a small minority of people who create a large amount of the mess. <br><br>"We're looking to make a change in their behaviour through education, advice and enforcement.<br><br>"This isn't about picking on people - we've got a responsibility to our residents to keep the streets clean and safe. The act now means we can issue deterrent fines for a range of envirocrimes. <br><br>"But fines alone won't bring about a lasting change in people's behaviour - and it's this that will make Islington a more pleasant place to live and work in.<br><br>"How we carry out this enforcement is a sensitive issue so we'll be taking account of the recommendations of the committee looking into dog fouling. And we're investing in a team of on-street staff to challenge people who are making our streets a mess and who'll give litterbugs the opportunity to pick it up - before issuing a fine."<br><br>Litter is a particular bugbear for residents and the council - who removed over 4,300 tonnes of the stuff from Islington's streets last year. Street cleaning costs Islington tax-payers over £7m annually - a substantial amount of which is spent on litter sweeping and which could spent on deep cleaning and improved street services.<br><br>Islington Council will explain the changes in legislation and how enforcement will be used to make the borough cleaner.<br><br><br>Notes: <br><br>Islington Council has so far issued 450 Fixed Penalty Notices this financial year (2006/7) for environmental offences.<br><br><br>The Cleaner Neighbourhoods and Environment Act 2005 covers 10 areas:<br><br>1: Crime and Disorder<br><br>This part amends the law relating to Crime and Disorder Reduction Partnerships to require them to take into account anti-social and other behaviour adversely affecting the local environment; and makes provision for the gating of minor highways that attract anti-social behaviour.<br><br>2:Vehicles<br><br>This introduces two new offences relating to nuisance parking and amends the law relating to abandoned and illegally parked vehicles.<br><br>3: Litter and Refuse<br><br>This introduces a consent system to permit businesses and individuals to distribute free literature only in designated areas within the borough; it introduces the Street Litter Control Notice - which allows the serving of a legal notice on establishments that contribute to a local litter problem. Litter Clearing Notices require the occupiers/owners of land, including private land that has been degraded by litter, to clear it up and keep it clear. It also extends the statutory offence of dropping litter to all land regardless of ownership. <br><br>4: Graffiti and Other Defacement<br><br>This part amends the law relating to graffiti, fly-posting and the illegal display of advertisements.<br><br>5: Waste<br><br>This allows local authorities to specify what waste is placed in bins, including recycling materials. It also allows for the prescription of what type of bins are used, how many there are and when and where they are placed out for collection. It also makes provision about the registration of carriers of waste and fly tipping.<br><br>6: Dogs<br><br>The CNEA 2005 is intended here as a more convenient alternative to existing powers to create by-laws. In particular, the new offences do not need to be approved by the Secretary of State. The new system replaces the Dogs (Fouling of Land) Act 1996. Chapter Two relieves the police of most of their statutory responsibilities for stray dogs.<br><br>7: Noise<br><br>This part addresses various issues relating to noise nuisance and will be addressed by Public Protection Services under separate recommendations. <br><br>8: Architecture and the Built Environment<br><br>This part establishes a statutory body to take the place of a non-departmental public body, the Commission for Architecture and the Built Environment. The provisions create a statutory Commission (with the same name), set out its general functions and the transfer of staff/resources from the old Commission to the statutory Commission.<br><br>9 and 10 Miscellaneous and supplementary provisions<br><br>Inherent in some of the above provisions, authorised officers of a local authority have the power to require the name and address of an offender, if the officer proposes to give him a fixed penalty notice. It is an offence to fail to provide the information asked for or to give inaccurate information.<br><br>ENDS<br><br><br><br><br><br><br><br><br><br>
Page Last Updated: 17 December 2009