Local environments
Local environment quality is an important issue that can have knock on effects on several aspects of society. Left unchecked, dirty streets and neighbourhoods affect the perception of the local community which can lead to anti-social behaviour, disorder, vandalism and eventually serious crime.
There is also a direct link between local environment quality and the quality of life in communities. Local environment quality encompasses issues such as litter, graffiti, flyposting, flytipping, abandoned vehicles, dog control orders and dog fouling. For many people litter is viewed as one of the most important issues of the local environmental quality agenda, as it is the most widespread blight of our public spaces.
The Environmental Protection Act 1990 (s.87) states that litter is ‘anything that is dropped, thrown, left or deposited that causes defacement, in a public place’. It includes smoking related litter, chewing gum, food and drink litter, drug related litter, carrier bags and faeces
What is the case for government action
The annual cost of cleaning England’s streets has been estimated at £780m, money that could be spent elsewhere if there was less litter, graffiti etc. Graffiti and flyposting not only spoils the enjoyment of the local environment and leads to a situation where crime and other anti-social behaviours can thrive, but is also a burden on businesses and the local authorities that are left to clean up property and public spaces.
Litter can have a detrimental effect on wildlife and the natural environment, and certain offences such as chewing gum litter and dog fouling are not pleasant. Dog faeces can also be a health risk, as it can carry harmful diseases such as toxocariasis. Defra is responsible for the development of policies to enhance the local environmental quality of our shared spaces and to communicate this effectively to local authorities. It is then the job of local authorities to maintain and deliver improvements on the ground.
Latest news
- 13 December 2011: 2010-11 flytipping annual statistics published
- October 2011: Secretary of State encourages businesses to support Love Where You Live at an event in the London Borough of Croydon involving executives from the businesses that are supporting the campaign, community groups, council and policing representatives and civil society groups.
Key facts and figures
KBT carry out the Local Environment Quality Survey England (LEQSE) on behalf of defra annually. In 2008/09 we saw an overall 2% decline in national overall cleanliness. Although levels of litter declined levels of detritus, leaf fall and staining increased. Levels of dog fouling increased from the previous year, from 6% to 8%, however this is still a decline from the initial 10% recorded 8 years ago. Chewing gum staining increased by 7% on the previous year, being found on 32% of sites surveyed. 76% of areas surveyed found smoking related litter, with confectionary packaging being found on 68% of areas.
What is the current situation and background
The Environmental Protection Act 1990 sets out regulations covering several environmental issues from pollution to genetically modified organisms to the disposal of waste. Most importantly in local environmental quality terms it made it an offence to litter.
The Clean Neighbourhoods and Environment Act 2005 brought together in one place a range of concerns under the broad heading of local environment quality. It makes provision for all matters such as nuisance parking, dog fouling, litter and defacement and is the key policy document in local environment quality regulations. Local authority enforcement officers are able to issue fixed penalty notices to anyone not adhering to the regulations set out in the Act.
Defra works closely with the independent charity Keep Britain Tidy (KBT) to develop advice, research, support and training to practitioners of local environmental quality and deliver behaviour changing campaigns on LEQ matters. We provide half their annual funding and they run campaigns on subjects such as litter, dog fouling and flyposting. They also carry out the LEQSE, as mentioned above. KBT provide useful information for local authorities through the KBT Knowledge Banks and for the general public through their advisory leaflets. Their website at www.keepbritaintidy.org gives more information on what they do.
Defra believes that education is key to changing behaviour and creating a sustainable solution to the problem. In light of this the Eco Schools programme was launched, which aims to educate children and young people about environmental issues focusing on 9 key topics including litter and the quality of school grounds. Schools work towards gaining one of three awards – Bronze, Silver and the prestigious Green Flag award, which symbolises excellence in the field of environmental activity. There are now over 15,000 schools registered on the scheme, with more than 1,300 holding the Green Flag award. For more information on Eco Schools and what they do please see the website: http://www.eco-schools.org.uk/
Defra Chair the Chewing Gum Action Group (CGAG) which works closely with industry and local authorities (LAs) to reduce the amount of gum litter on the streets of the UK. Dropped gum sticks to peoples’ shoes and clothing and is extremely costly to remove from the pavement once it has been impact ed. CGAG run an annual campaign involving a number of local authorities aimed at highlighting the problem of chewing gum litter and provide paid for advertising and media space. In 2008/09 there was an overall average reduction in deposits of gum litter of 48% across all the LAs that participated and it is hoped that this year will build on the successes of previous years.
- For more information on CGAG see their website
- See Keep Britain Tidy’s page on chewing gum
Beach litter on amenity beaches should be cleared between 1st May and 30th September. The duty under section 89 of the EPA 1990 extends to the high tide watermark. In all other beach areas, the Code recommends those responsible for beaches regularly monitor them and develop an appropriate cleansing regime. Keep Britain Tidy administer a Blue Flag award for clean beaches. Please see this page for more information on beach litter and a link to the Blue Flag award website.
Particular questions people are raising
Local environment quality is a subject many people feel strongly about as it is about issues on their doorstep. As a result we receive a great deal of correspondence from members of the public asking what is being done about LEQ matters in their area, in particular questions around litter and dog fouling.
Local environment quality, as the name suggests is very much a local issue and the responsibility lies with the local authorities to implement and enforce the laws as they see fit. We strongly believe in giving power to local authorities to manage their own areas as they are best placed to decide what their priorities are and what needs to be done. In most cases you should contact your local authority if you wish to notify them of an issue you think is not being dealt with in a satisfactory manner.
The main focus of the LEQ team in central government since the passing of the CNEA 2005 has been to improve understanding of the powers given to local authorities and to produce guidance.
What do people have to do?
For more information on what you can do about local environment quality issues you can see: http://www.direct.gov.uk/en/HomeAndCommunity/WhereYouLive/Streetcleaninglitterandillegaldumping/index.htm
Relevant legislation and regulations
Local environment quality issues are covered by the Clean Neighbourhoods and Environment Act 2005. In particular the Act includes sections on nuisance and abandoned vehicles, litter, graffiti, waste, noise and dogs which have different policy leads across different government departments. The policy lead for litter and dog fouling, is the local environment quality team in Defra. The Act came into force on the 6th April 2006 and provides local authorities, parish and community councils and the Environment Agency with more effective powers and tools to tackle poor environmental quality and anti-social behaviour. The most effective of these powers is the ability to issue Fixed Penalty Notices for environmental crimes such as littering.
The Antisocial Behaviour Act 2003 deals with (among other things) fly tipping, littering, graffiti, and fly posting.