Chiefs have agreed to invest more than £1 million to tackle litter and fly-tipping in Oldham as part of a programme which will see every ward deep cleaned.
The borough's cabinet has backed plans to invest £1.27m in a ‘clean streets’ proposal that will see a new fly-tipping clearance team and environment marshals created.
A report to cabinet showed that the number of requests made to the council about fly-tipping or dumping had risen from 4,382 in 2019/20 up to 5,822 in 2020/21.
The two biggest hotspot areas are St Mary’s ward and Alexandra Ward in the town centre, according to the report.
Cabinet member for neighbourhoods, Councillor Amanda Chadderton, told members that there would be five new street cleaners – dandycart operators – as well as two fly-tipping clearance teams with eight additional staff on the ground.
Five new environmental marshals would also be created to focus on ‘low level’ enforcement, advice and education and resolving ‘persistent’ issues.
Two new trucks – a crew cab tipper and compact shovel – are also to be purchased.
The extra investment is planned to ‘reinvigorate’ the service.
Coun Chadderton said: “As local councillors it didn’t escape any of our knowledge that during the recent election period in the run up to the May elections this was the number one issue that was raised on the doorstep.
“People’s unhappiness about the increase in litter, increasing fly-tipping and increasing dumping and what we were going to do about it.
“As Arooj [Shah] came in as the new leader in May, this was her number one priority and once it’s a number one priority for the council leader it is the number one priority for the council as a whole.
“What that will include will be a ward by ward clean up between September that will take us through to the summer of next year.
“So each ward will be cleaned up, all our streets, all our alleyways will be done.
“The ward clean ups will be a one-off investment and what we want to do is basically start from zero.”
The first clean-up is expected to take place in early September and will see council staff sweep and clear waste from roads, streets, alleys and public open spaces.
“We clean up this town and then everybody has their role to play to ensure it stays like that,” Coun Chadderton added.
“We can only ensure that our green spaces stay green and clean if we all buy into this vision and it’s for everybody in Oldham to not litter, to not dump waste.”
The council says that since the pandemic there has been a ‘big increase’ in the amount of litter and fly-tipping collected from parks and green spaces during the pandemic.
Councillor Zahid Chauhan told the meeting that there is a ‘significant issue’ with littering and dumping in his ward of Hathershaw.
“We sincerely hope that this will be the solution that will enable us to provide a better cleaner place for the residents of Hathershaw,” he added.
Council leader Arooj Shah said: “Everyone has a right to live in a neighbourhood that’s tidy, a neighbourhood that they can be proud of.
“Ultimately we need those who drop litter or fly-tip to change their behaviour. We need people to know that it’s not OK and we will do everything we can to prosecute you.”
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