Re: Why such dirty streets
 

mmmmm . does seem a little farcical, doesn't it ? As Madhatter says could have been better with a special litter bin, however, council probably thought had to drag themselves down to the mentality of gum litter louts.

See report in the Observer, that the first person in Hyndburn has been fined for letting their dog foul the pavement. £ 75 plus £ 60 costs. As this law has been in force ? years, took a long time, didn't it ? Lots of people now being fined for dropping cigarette ends.

Who catches these offenders ? Understand if it is the Dog Warden's job, can't be everywhere can he ?

Re: Why such dirty streets
 

Your jokin, lol, they've been fining for dog fouling here for about ten years.
I'm sorry, and I understand some might take offence to an outsider saying this, but as an outsider I think your council is totally crap at running your borough and have been for years. I though north warwickshire borough council were bad, which they are, i've got a half finished kitchen and have had since christmas, but they're better with keeping the place tidy.

Re: Why such dirty streets
 

well i guess we will have to put them in our pockets until we get home now then :rolleyes:

either that or flag passing cars down and ask if its ok to borrow their ashtray :)

Re: Why such dirty streets
 

well as ive said else where when they started fining here for ciggie ends, its all very well, but when it goes to court, do you not think the defence of I didntput it in the bin because it could start a fire, and there is nowhere to stub it out will get them off. It's not very hygenic to stub it on the floor, the only alternative is to use the walls.
We've got bins with stubber plates on the top now. It's just a chrome plate, but it works. People see it use it and put the end in the bin.
I still say a separate ciggie box on the side of the bin is safer though

Re: Why such dirty streets
 

just deny you did it , its your word against theirs and if they want to go ahead and waste valuable resources doing DNA comparasons linking you to the giggy etc let them :)

saying that 90% of my fag ends get launched out the car window ( with no cars behind me of course or passers by ) so a high speed persuit over a fag end dosnt seem to be aviable option neither lol

Re: Why such dirty streets
 

That was my other point chav, they used the towns CCTV system to zoom in on the people in the street that were smoking as they entered Somerfield. Sod scanning the street incase a mugger steals a purse, we'll zoom in on the entrance to somerfield with our top of the range, paid for with public money cctv security system to catch someone dropping a ciggarette butt.

Re: Why such dirty streets
 

I totally agree with you, here in Montreal we poop and scoop and the roads are cleaned everyday. When I was in Accy last year I thought how dirty and dingy everything looks, and people have a total disregard for picking up after themselves. As Magily said about Toronto that they get the people out to clean up the parks etc... we also do this in Montreal especially up on Mount Royal.

Re: Why such dirty streets
 

I'd happily spend time with a group cleaning up a park. I can't believe bacup park has been let go so much.

Re: Why such dirty streets
 

Don't think that this CCTV system was ever put in to catch the litter louts Madhatter, just another use for it. Can't win .. people grumble about the litter and then as soon as they are trying to do summat about it people grumble that it can be used for something better.

Seems you have to have wardens in place in certain areas, but suppose these cost money, have Hyndburn got any do we know for this type of purpose ?

Sure you have all looked at this before, but the Parliamentary link on this is:- http://www.parliament.uk/post/pn201.pdf

Careful how you search, put in an incorrect letter in the words chewing *um and kept getting adult sights ... sorry, bit rude, but didn't notice for a while.:rofl38:

Seems was band in Singapore for a while, then when sugar free gum came in was lifted .. is this more bio-degradable then ?

We seem to be concentrating on cure rather than prevention here.. I say let's ban it !! Only gives you wind anyway. No nutritional value that I know of, ok helps to get last bits of yer breakfast out of ya' teeth and maybe helps to keep our breaths sweet.

Re: Why such dirty streets
 

Thats exactly my point kate, people need educating not catching in the act. Watching someone drop a ciggie or gum on cctv is to labour intensive and too expansive kate. it takes two people, one on the ground, one in the observation room, plus the use of cameras which whilst being used on that can't watch the street, which is why I wanted them, not to prevent littering, as annoying as it is.

Re: Why such dirty streets
 

I agree, you are right, the fines (Fixed Penalty Notices) for dog fouling and littering have been in place for a few years now. The dog fouling one has risen from £50 to £75 but still £50 if you pay earlier.

However the Conservative Council gave orders (to the Community Wardens) not to fine but to warn people. The Council over the 7 years of this administration have contiually pledged getting tough (check Cllr Britcliffes quotes online) and people have accepted it each time. Evidentially though there are the same no. of dog bins, litter bins, dirty town, very few fines. I would argue these are just empty words on their seventh lap!

The Dog Warden (a friend of PB) does as he pleases IMHO. I have yet to see him for instance contact ward councillors and have an action plan or review for each area, in essence there is little accountability.

Two weeks before this years local elections he was on the front page of the LET (against Officer/media/elections protocol) electioneering on behalf of PB and the Tories with a pair of binoculars saying he was having crackdown (again - 10th LAP for these words) to make the Council look like they were finally (finally again) tackling these environmental problems.

I asked him about Turkey St (200 pieces in 100 yards) and was told not enough resources, priorities and all that gumph. There definately needs to be a review of this service.

Some of the answers are straightforward. More front line staff to catch offenders (Wardens), tougher no nonsense policy (immediate fines and an end to verbal warnings) and more bins would help.

Re: Why such dirty streets
 

You only give people warnings for so long, gawd , you publicise the fact that you'll be giving warning, then will be getting tough after # weeks and stick to it. The police never stick to their promises of parking here and they just get laughed at. Everyone knows the one place you WONT get a ticket is on the no waiting bay in the middle of the double yellow zone.

Re: Why such dirty streets
 

Graham, I am flattered that you have quoted a part of my post, even though you used it as a political platform... I've been used. sob. No, nowt wrong with that; that is your duty.

Still don't understand why took so long to bring someone to court, is it because he argued the fact and that it was not his dog's pooh or summat ? Still puzzled as to who would give the on-the-spot fines and do we know how many has been issued up to press ?

Not a financial wizard, but would think worthwhile having a litter warden based in the town centre in 'plain clothes' and not necessarily everyday either. Must be less than the cleaning .. what happed to the Gum Buster wagon ? There would always be the fear that they might be sat next to you so might think twice about dropping this offending confectionery ..eeew think of the germs on some of these blobs !

Ok .. somebody going to say have plain clothes detectives in stores, and people still steal, but think would be a lot more thieving if they were not there. Like the notices some stores put up that say 'We always prosecute'
Hyndburn should adopt this slogan.

Think that a lot of people drop it as a **** woz here (what was his name?)
attitude, and the boards that were put up at Blackburn would only encourage them to stick here .. more fun .. than in the litter bins.

Re: Why such dirty streets
 

If you mean a footpath cleaner that scoures the dried gum off, then councils usually hire them along with the men to do it, they're not cheap and are labour intensive, been a few years since our were done. Thats the problem with gum, ciggy ends crisp bags and chip wrappers can be swept up, but gum can't be.

Re: Why such dirty streets
 

WELL I WALKED THROUGH TOWN ONLY YESTERDAY MH AND DIDNT SEE ONE OVEFLOWING BIN BEARING IN MIND THIS WAS B4 LUNCH/ AND TOURISTS WERE FEW.GRANTED THE AIRSHOW LAST WEEK PROVED A DIFFERENT STORY BUT GIVEN THE AMOUNT OF FOLK THERE WAS, HARDLY SURPRISING BUT CAMPARED TO ONLY A COUPLE OF YRS AGO I THINK THIS TOWN IS BEGINNING TO GET ITS ACT TOGETHER.