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AUTUMN 2017
Clamping down on shopfront fly-tippers Success of commercial waste-collection scheme sees it extended to more parts of the borough. The number of Croydon areas to get a council scheme that clamps down on shopfront fly-tipping will reach double figures by Christmas. Kenley will become the tenth area of the borough to get time-banded waste collection, which tackles flytipping dumped on top of local shops’ rubbish left for private contractors to take away. The council introduced the scheme last year to make local areas more attractive, discourage fly-tippers and ensure shopkeepers have a proper business waste-disposal contract with a private company. It means that shopkeepers can no longer leave their business waste on the pavement between 8am and 5pm. Since being piloted in High Street, Thornton Heath, the scheme covers parts of: • West Croydon (London Road) • Thornton Heath (London Road, High Street and Brigstock Road) • Norbury (London Road) • South Norwood (Portland Road) • Selhurst (Selhurst Road and Station Road) • Upper Norwood (triangle) • South Croydon (Godstone Road) • Purley (Godstone Road) • Coulsdon (Brighton Road and Chipstead Valley Road)
The Kenley phase will begin between Whytecliffe Road South and Station Road, while other areas of Purley (High Street, Russell Hill Road and Purley Road) are scheduled to get the scheme by Christmas. Enforcement is led by council neighbourhood safety officers, who visit shopkeepers to check they have a commercial waste licence and are following the new rules. A specialist fly-tipping response team focuses on identifying fly-tippers and issuing them with fixed-penalty notices. Bharat Patel, supervisor at Coulsdon News in Brighton Road, said: “It’s brilliant. If people find out that
somebody is watching they won’t dump their rubbish outside.” The Don’t Mess with Croydon – Take Pride campaign combines getting local people to become community champions with enforcement against the worst offences. As well as prosecuting 171 people since launching the initiative in summer 2014, the council has signed up more than 300 community champions who lead litter picks. Fly-tips can be reported confidentially using the My Croydon app, notifying the council through My account, calling 020 8604 7000 or emailing flytip@croydon.gov.uk
Bharat Patel, of Coulsdon News: 'It's brilliant.'
borough Litter picking goes high-tech Don’t be alarmed if, while out shopping or on your way to work, you’re confronted by a large white machine sucking up litter and debris from the pavement ahead of you. The machine is just one of the new street vacuum cleaners brought in by the council as part of its Don’t Mess with Croydon – Take Pride campaign. New Addington, Coulsdon, Thornton Heath and Waddon streets are to receive the next batch of the machines this autumn.
More efficient and versatile than brushes and barrows, they are able to collect waste from previously hardto-reach spots, such as from between closely parked cars. Council contractors started using them in Croydon town centre, Norbury and Broad Green in August, and it is planned to have introduced 17 by year’s end. Councillor Stuart Collins, cabinet member for clean, green Croydon, introduces the new street vacuum cleaners in this short video. They are part of a £1.3m council
investment in better street-cleaning equipment, waste-collection vehicles and solar-powered bins.