Leader of DDC, Cllr Trevor Bartlett, with Cllr Martin Bates and MD John Dunne with Enforcement Officers from WISE
Dover District Council is boosting resources as part of its commitment to crack down on littering and dog fouling.
The council is teaming up with Waste Investigation Support and Enforcement Limited (WISE), who have secured a three-year contract tender. The company will carry out enforcement activities alongside council officers.
The contractors will focus on day-to-day littering and dog fouling issues and will provide a three-officer team to conduct regular enforcement patrols throughout the district.
Officers from WISE will have authority to issue a £100 on the spot fine for those caught deliberately dropping litter or failing to pick up after their dog.
The additional resource will enable DDC’s Environmental Enforcement Officers and Dog Warden to spend more time on other environmental crime-related issues including fly-tipping investigations, stray dogs and the enforcement of the Public Spaces Protection Order (PSPO) for our parks and beaches.
The contract means no additional cost to the Council.
WISE will only receive a proportion of the income from each paid Fixed Penalty Notice (FPN).
Any additional income generated will go back into supporting the service and developing new education and awareness campaigns, to encourage recycling and environmental awareness, and help to harness pride in the district.
Cllr Martin Bates, DDC Cabinet Member for Transport, Licensing and Regulatory Services, said “Our communities continue to tell us that littering and dog fouling are key issues. The Environmental Crime team has worked hard to tackle them, and they are pleased to gain extra resource and support in this area.
“The vast majority of our residents do the right thing and put litter or bagged dog waste in the bin. For the minority who deliberately drop litter or fail to pick up after their dog, they may pick up a fine or be prosecuted.”
WISE are a specialist supplier of environmental enforcement services to councils across the UK.
Managing Director, John Dunne said: “We’re very much looking forward to working in partnership with Dover District Council. We will operate a robust but always proportionate methodology to tackle the issue of littering and dog fouling. Our officers have been instructed to communicate openly with the community with the overall aim of inclusivity for the Dover community to play their part in the task ahead.”
The WISE officers will be patrolling the district from 18 October 2021.
For further information, or to report a problem, residents can visit www.dover.gov.uk/environment or email envcrime@dover.gov.uk