A cross-party group of councillors formed a committee, chaired by Councillor Ian Stutely, to specifically address the issue of fly-tipping in the city. Eleven recommendations from the group went out to public consultation.
These were:
- That the council decision in February 2007 to discontinue its waste amnesty collections in fly-tipping hotspot areas is reviewed.
- The number, locations, and types of bins in communal areas are reviewed in fly-tipping hotspots and the council looks at new designs for storage areas that prevent and deter fly-tipping.
- Pre-Covid enforcement arrangements for fly-tipping are resumed, and expanded to include the use of CCTV.
- Arrangements for engaging with residents about fly-tipping are reviewed and improved. This should include improved partnership working between the council’s citywide services and housing estate management teams in the design of services and facilities to reduce fly-tipping in bin storage areas at council homes.
- Local facilities for upcycling and reuse of unwanted items are considered in partnership with Norfolk County Council - the authority that is responsible for waste disposal.
- The workflow and processes for managing fly-tipping between Norwich City Services Ltd (NCSL), Biffa and the council are reviewed and streamlined to improve efficiency and effectiveness.
- The charging structure for the council’s bulky waste collection service is reviewed to make accessing the service easier for residents on low incomes and Universal Credit.
- The service considers the use of an app for reporting fly-tipping.
- The manner in which the council records and analyses environmental crime, such as fly-tipping is reviewed.
- The service continues to review best practice elsewhere.
- The city council reviews its current enforcement arrangements to ensure that the full range of options available to the council are used more effectively.
There was also a recommendation that officers work with partners and local businesses about dealing with trade waste in the city centre.
Public consultation carried out by the council earlier this year saw the majority of those who responded in support of the proposals. Some measures are already being actioned in the city, including:
- The council writing to businesses in the city centre to ask that trade waste is collected during specific time slots each day, in order to keep the streets free of these bins, bags and pallets.
- A series of community clear-up events in fly-tipping hot spots across the city, starting in Suffolk Square and Somerleyton Gardens.
- Increased investigation of fly-tipping in hot spots in Norwich.
- Working with the community safety team at the city council to use CCTV, where appropriate.
- Working with housing services at the council to make changes to bin storage areas which attract fly-tipping.
- Improved engagement with residents and communities about the issue of fly-tipping.
- The offer of a limited number of free bulky waste collections in fly-tipping hot spots.
