£3 Million cost of dropped litter!

9.23.28pm GMT Fri 12th Jan 2007

Councillor Wera Hobhouse - Working to clean up Rochdale!

Rochdale Borough's Cabinet Member for Environment and Sustainability - Councillor Wera Hobhouse has revealed the cost of dropped litter and fly tipping in the Borough - is a staggering £3 Million a year! That is the cost to Council Tax Payers in the Borough and involves collecting 4,500 tonnes of litter in Heywood, Middleton, the Pennines and Rochdale.

Councillor Wera Hobhouse said, "People dropping litter have got to be aware that they are irresponsible. Quite apart from the cost litter is a serious health hazard. We have a dangerously increased rat population which is a considerable risk to people's health. Some residents in Pennines want to blame the Alternate Weekly Waste Collections for the increase in rats and vermin that is not the case it is litter that is the real problem. The Council has an obligation to keep our borough clean and that is a responsibility we take very seriously but there is a limit to the amount of money we can spend in tidying up after irresponsible people. I am afraid the people who litter our borough don't realise what health risks they are producing for themselves and others and the cost they incur for the Council and the Council taxpayer. I tell you today people who drop litter are letting our Borough down! People who say that alternate weekly collections will increase the problem are being defeatist - we will come down hard on fly tippers and people who drop litter and name and shame them at every given opportunity."

Wera continued, "The Council is working hard to provide an adequate deterrent to people. Anyone dropping litter, including cigarette butts and chewing gum, in Rochdale Borough is risking a £75 Fixed Penalty Notice.

We will hand out hundreds of small containers to help smokers dispose of their butts responsibly. Rochdale town centre also has special bins for chewing gum." We can make the borough cleaner but only if a lot more people are coming on board and understand the message: Dropping litter is not acceptable."