Merton Council set up a littered and fly-tipped living room on Mitcham Fair Green this morning to raise awareness of the effects environmental crime has on the borough and to push the message that just as people would not dump rubbish in their living room, they should not dump rubbish on the streets.
Councillor Judy Saunders at the ‘room’ on Mitcham Fair Green
Created by the council’s waste enforcement team, the one-off living room on Mitcham Fair Green was furnished with items the council collects through its free bulky waste service. The “room” was then sprawled with litter and goods that the council has collected from recent fly-tipping incidents in the borough to highlight the effects fly-tipping and litter has on the beauty and cleanliness of Merton and areas around people’s homes.
Although a recent independent survey showed that that 72% of residents would describe Merton streets as clean, the council is continuing its fight against litter and fly-tipping. In further efforts to win the battle against fly-tippers, the council is investing in new CCTV cameras and will be working on joint operations with the police to clamp down on this environmental crime. Its successful free bulky waste service is already set up to help residents dispose of larger household items responsibly. As well as the council’s enforcement officers working alongside the waste teams as part of its zero-tolerance approach to fly-tipping, Merton has also made it easier for residents to report fly-tipping through the free Love Clean Streets smart-phone app.
Cabinet member for environmental cleanliness Councillor Judy Saunders said: “Keeping Merton clean is a top priority for the council and we spend £5million keeping our streets clean every year, money which could be better spent on other services. As one of the greenest boroughs in London, Merton is a great place to live and we will not tolerate the small minority of people who litter and fly-tip. We’re sending out a clear message to people who fly-tip and litter in Merton: you wouldn’t do this in your home, don’t do this in our borough or we will take tough action. Fly-tipping is a criminal offence and we will prosecute anyone we find fly-tipping in Merton.”
People can report street cleaning issues by downloading the Love Clean Streets app or visiting merton.gov.uk/streetcleaning.
-ENDS-
Notes to editors:
- A Public Value Review survey carried out by BMG Research, a leading national Market Research organisation showed that 72% of residents would describe Merton streets as clean.