Turning the tide on fly-tipping in Walsall
A fly-tipping summit exploring an enhanced partnership approach to tackle fly-tipping in Walsall has taken place at the Lichfield Street Hub library.
Walsall Council hosted the summit on 12 December, which was attended by representatives from a range of local organisations including the council, housing associations and community organisations.
Councillor Garry Perry, Leader of Walsall Council, said: "Fly-tipping is a blight on our community, and together with our partners, we continue delivering a zero-tolerance approach to this crime.
"Through our dedicated enforcement efforts and collaborative approach, we are turning the tide on recurrent fly-tipping in Bridge Street. This hard-hitting approach, which was highlighted as a case study during the summit, is something we will employ moving forward, using CCTV and all options within our power to track down those responsible.
"This summit has been instrumental in outlining key actions and ensuring that we continue to build on these successes to keep our streets clean and safe for all residents. We will not rest until fly-tipping is eradicated from our borough."
Councillor Kerry Murphy, Portfolio Holder for Street Pride, said: "I'm glad to see so many partners attend the summit. It has been an excellent opportunity for us to come together with key partners and shape a strategic plan to tackle challenging areas of fly-tipping.
"Through a two-pronged approach of education and enforcement, we aim to change behaviour among perpetrators and reduce the incidence of illegal dumping in our borough. The successes of our ongoing EnviroCrime initiative are evident, but by working closely with our partners, we can extend these efforts to private landowners and communities that are challenging to reach.
"The insights gained from this summit will be instrumental in ensuring that we continue to build on these successes and keep our streets clean and safe for all residents."
In attendance at the fly-tipping summit were representatives from Walsall Housing Group (whg), GreenSquareAccord, Longhurst Group, Nash Dom CIC, Bloxwich Community Partnership, local litter-picking volunteers and Walsall’s voluntary community sector leads.
Fay Shanahan, Corporate Director of Operations and IT at whg, said: "The summit has been a great opportunity to strengthen our partnership with Walsall Council as we work together to keep our communities clean, well maintained and welcoming."
"Fly-tipping has no place in our neighbourhoods and we are committed to taking firm action against those responsible for dumping waste on our land.
"We urge residents to report any incidents of fly-tipping they see. whg customers can now use our new online reporting tool to easily raise issues and help us maintain cleaner, safer spaces for everyone."
The summit brought together partners to discuss the best way forward to address current challenges in Walsall’s fight against fly-tipping and agree a strategy to foster collaboration across agencies and deliver solutions to prevent fly-tipping and protect Walsall’s environment.
The agenda covered areas such as value-based communications, social action days, educational prevention, early engagement with residents, community roles, and improving council services to address gaps.
The summit concluded with a commitment to integrate the feedback and ideas gathered into Walsall’s forthcoming ‘Waste Strategy,’ which will be developed in the New Year. This strategy, along with an enhanced partnership approach, will be incorporated into Walsall Council's initiatives to address fly-tipping.
