Concerns have been raised over Mid Ulster District Council’s launch of a new litter enforcement programme, run by a private contractor.
A team of five enforcement officers provided by WISE (Waste Investigations Support and Enforcement) began patrolling public spaces in the council area on Tuesday.
The council will not be charged by WISE for providing the service, however the contractor will retain 90% of the income generated by fixed penalty notices from the programme.
WISE is currently working with three other district councils in Northern Ireland, with some councillors in other areas questioning its priorities as one report showed the majority of fines being handed out for the littering of cigarette butts.
Dungannon area DUP councillor Clement Cuthbertson has said a move to combat littering is welcome, but has voiced concerns about whether this is the right way to do it.
“Any move to eradicate and deal with the problem of dog fouling and littering is welcome,” Cllr Cuthbertson told MyTyrone.
“Whether this proves to be the right one or not, time will tell. It all sounds good on paper and the proof will be in the pudding.
“We’re hearing from colleagues in other council areas the contractor hasn’t put the time and effort into targeting cases of dog fouling, but spend more time in town centres or shopping centres.
“Some people would say they are looking for soft targets but we need this contractor to cover right across Mid Ulster council area rather than just concentrating on one area.”
Councillor Cuthbertson added that it was disappointing that the council could not train and use its own staff for litter enforcement
“The council were to train up three park wardens across the area to be able to issue fixed penalty notices, I don’t know why we can’t put more resources into it.
“Mid Ulster Council has close to 1,000 employees and it’s disappointing that we can’t put more staff into tackling this type of issue.”
A statement from Mid Ulster Council said it spends £1.7million per year on cleaning, and the aim of the programme is to create cleaner neighbourhoods, and not to generate income.
“We spend £1.7M on cleaning every year, including street cleaning, and the aim of the programme is to create cleaner neighbourhoods via a visible increase in enforcement activity which will penalise offenders, thus deterring re-offending, and which will also act as a general deterrent to others who may litter, and not about income generation,” a council spokesperson said.
“There is no quota for Fixed Penalty Notices (FPNs). Enforcement officers are paid an hourly rate and do not receive bonuses.
“The 5-strong team of litter enforcement officers will undertake patrols across Mid Ulster, working in shifts and providing a 7 day a week operation including mornings and evenings.
“The team’s focus will be on issuing FPNs for littering offences, including dog fouling. The programme will be monitored closely by the Council and progress will be reported to the Development Committee on a regular basis.”
The spokesperson also confirmed that if fines are ignored, the council would take the prosecution forward in the courts, rather than WISE.
"If fines are not paid, reminder letters are issued. If these are not responded to, WISE will prepare the prosecution file and the Council will take the prosecution forward," the spokesperson said.
