Doncaster residents call for action on littering

More than 20,000 residents each year complain about the state of Doncaster's streets '“ with fly tipping, littering and dog fouling causing misery to many.
Mayor Ros Jones and Cllr Joe Blackham with new street sweepersMayor Ros Jones and Cllr Joe Blackham with new street sweepers
Mayor Ros Jones and Cllr Joe Blackham with new street sweepers

Today we is putting the borough’s grot spots under the spotlight in an effort to help crack down on the problem.

Our week-long series comes as Doncaster Council reveals plans to get tough, with harsher penalties for those committing environmental offences.

Doncaster Council have issued a warning over rogue waste carriers who are fly-tipping rubbish, rather than disposing of it properly.Doncaster Council have issued a warning over rogue waste carriers who are fly-tipping rubbish, rather than disposing of it properly.
Doncaster Council have issued a warning over rogue waste carriers who are fly-tipping rubbish, rather than disposing of it properly.
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There will also be a move to a seven-day-a-week street cleaning service.

Doncaster Mayor Ros Jones said: “Littering now costs council taxpayers in the UK nearly £1bn a year to clean up.

“As a council, we spent around £500,000 last year just collecting and disposing of fly-tipped waste.”

Residents are demanding drastic action to crack down on the litter and fly-tipping blighting Doncaster’s streets.

Doncaster Council have issued a warning over rogue waste carriers who are fly-tipping rubbish, rather than disposing of it properly.Doncaster Council have issued a warning over rogue waste carriers who are fly-tipping rubbish, rather than disposing of it properly.
Doncaster Council have issued a warning over rogue waste carriers who are fly-tipping rubbish, rather than disposing of it properly.
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Doncaster Council has pledged to get tough on the issue after revealing it receives more than 20,000 littering complaints annually.

The local authority spent £500,000 last year alone on dealing with fly-tipped waste and is appealing for community champions to help them clamp down in hotspot areas.

In a bid to clean up the streets council bosses are launching a campaign that will see tougher penalties for those committing environmental crimes and the street cleaning team is moving to a seven day a week service.

Mayor Ros Jones said: “We are very proud of Doncaster and stopping people from spoiling it is a key priority for me.

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“We all know that when a place looks clean and tidy, people are more likely to want to spend time there.

“As we see more investment coming into Doncaster, as well as more visitors to our great local attractions, it will be crucial that we keep the borough looking nice wherever we can.”

The move comes after it was revealed between April 1, 2014 and March 31, 2015, the local authority dished out more than 1,100 fixed penalty notices for littering, while there were 4,400 investigations into fly-tipping.

And dog fouling remains a significant issue, with 950 complaints in Doncaster in the last year.

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Hyde Park resident Tony Batty of Somerset Road said littering and fly-tipping have been blighting his street for months.

He added: “The area is starting to look like a slum.

“It’s definitely getting me down. The council need to get tough and issue more fines, it’s the only way.”