Coronavirus no excuse for flytipping

Some irresponsible people have seen the COVID-19 lockdown as an opportunity for antisocial behaviour, with the amount of illegal rubbish and bonfires increasing.

Yet the authority’s officers are still out enforcing the law and urging residents to help tackle those who would mar our local communities.

'A blight on people's environment'

Cllr Nick Kemp, cabinet member for environment and regulatory services, said: “This is a real blight on people’s environment and it’s just absolutely shocking that people think that this is acceptable behaviour.

“It’s taking away valuable resources from our already stretched bin crews, who are being diverted away to clean it up while at the same time continuing to provide every resident their usual collections – work that is an amazing achievement in the face of society’s biggest public health crisis in our lifetime.

“The good people of our city don’t deserve this – Our Your city Your home campaign had helped to reduce the amount of fly-tipping and litter collected so let’s not ruin it now.”

Bin collections continue as normal

All of Newcastle City Council’s bin collections are continuing as normal during the pandemic.

Green general waste, blue recycling and brown garden waste pick-ups are scheduled to take place on their usual days, with the exceptions of the Good Friday (April 10) and May Day (May 8) bank holidays, when collections will take place one day later (on Saturday).

If people have excess rubbish or large items that they need to dispose they are being asked to store it appropriately until the city’s household waste and recycling centres reopen.

Households should not look to arrange for someone else to take the waste away, as they may find there is nowhere open for them to take it, and if your waste gets dumped, the courts can fine you.

Bonfires 'irresponsible and dangerous'

Nor should they look to burn their excess waste.

That not only damages air quality and puts harmful pollutants into the air but is irresponsible and potentially dangerous when neighbours may be suffering from the effects of a virus that affects the chest and breathing.

Cllr Kemp said: “Clearly at the moment we don’t have the household waste and recycling centres open, but that’s not an automatic permit for people to behave differently.

“We’re asking people to be sensible, and to be respectful of each other and Newcastle.

“When we get through all this we still want to have a clean, green, brilliant city for us all to enjoy.”

Report environmental crime

Officers continue to investigate environmental crimes and will prosecute any perpetrators identified.

To report issues such as flytipping, bonfires, graffiti or dog fouling use Newcastle City Council’s Envirocall service at envirocall.newcastle.gov.uk