Litter
Litter is one or more items that have been thrown away. It can range from something as small as a cigarette end to a bag full of rubbish.
The most common items of litter are associated with smoking, eating and drinking. They may have been thrown away by members of the public or spilt during the storage and removal of waste.
Why is litter a problem?
Litter is unsightly and detracts from the general appearance of an area; it can also affect people's health by attracting animals and insects that carry diseases. Research also shows that heavily littered areas and poor local environmental quality deter economic activity and investment and can also lead to an increased fear of crime. Litter can therefore blight an area and needs to be dealt with.
The Council has a duty to keep streets and public places clear of litter, and we spend approximately £1.6m every year on keeping our Borough clean and tidy. We must take a clear and strong line on littering to realise our ambition of making Calderdale a cleaner, safer place.
Is dropping litter an offence?
Yes, it is a criminal offence to drop litter or to throw it from a vehicle and anyone dropping litter in a public place can be prosecuted. You can read what the law says here: .
There is a potential £80 penalty for littering and we will normally issue Fixed penalty notices to people caught dropping litter. The fixed penalty notices are issued by Litter Wardens, Dog Wardens, Community Wardens, Safer Greener Cleaner Teams and Environmental Health Officers. If people do not pay the fine we can take them to Court.
Other litter controls
A street litter control notice can be served on owners or occupiers of certain types of commercial premises. It requires them to prevent or remove accumulations of litter or refuse in streets and adjacent open land where the litter is related to their activities. Failure to comply with a street litter control notice can result in the issuing of a fixed penalty notice of £110.
A litter clearing notice can be served on land owners requiring them to clear their land of litter. Failure to comply with a litter clearing notice can result in the issuing of a fixed penalty notice of £110.
Help us keep Calderdale litter free
You can help us by:
- not dropping litter on the street
- teaching young people in the family to dispose of litter responsibly
- ensuring that wheelie bins are not over filled and that black bags are securely tied
- not disposing of sharp objects or needles in the bins
- not disposing of household rubbish in litter bins
- reporting accumulations of litter
- reporting full, overflowing, damaged or defaced litter bins.
Reporting litter issues
To report a street that needs cleaning, to request a street litter bin, or to report an overflowing or damaged litter bin Contact Safer Cleaner Greener Services.
