Clean Kent catches flytipper called Mr Tidy
21st September 2011
A man called Mr Tidy was one of two people convicted of illegally depositing waste near Maidstone after being brought to justice by the Clean Kent Campaign - which aims to make Kent a cleaner county.
The campaign's enforcement team at Kent County Council, together with KCC's lawyers, secured a conviction at Maidstone Magistrates Court against Daniel Robert Tidy, 28, of Greenfield Close, Eccles, after he pleaded guilty on 13 September 2011 to flytipping black rubbish sacks at Bull Lane, Eccles, between 26 December 2010 and 11 February 2011.
Tidy was sentenced to 45 hours community service and ordered to pay costs of £535.
In a separate case, James Moriarty, 28, of Tramways, Chatham, pleaded guilty on 13 September 2011 to flytipping black sacks, cardboard and polythene at the exit slip road to Shell Cossington Service Station, near the Maidstone bound A229, on 10 October 2010.
Moriarty was sentenced to 45 hours community service and ordered to pay costs of £630.
Kent County Council Cabinet Member for Environment, Highways and Waste, Bryan Sweetland, said:
"These sorts of environmental crimes not only blight our countryside but they also affect us all financially because we have to pay to clear up the mess they leave behind. Flytipping is an anti-social act and a criminal offence and we will not tolerate it.
"Both Kent County Council and the Clean Kent Campaign are committed to bringing flytippers to justice, so that Kent's residents can enjoy a safe and beautiful county."
Cllr Howard Rogers, Tonbridge & Malling Borough Council's Cabinet Member for Environmental Services, added:
"There can be no excuse for flytipping, which continues to be a financial burden on the council taxpayer and an eyesore. We will continue to work with our Clean Kent partners to bring those who deface our environment to justice."
One thousand people volunteer for a Clean Kent
26th November 2010
The Clean Kent campaign reached a milestone this year with more than 1,000 volunteers from across Kent taking part in community clean ups since the spring.
Dover beach, housing estates in Canterbury, playing fields in Maidstone, a lake in Snodland and marshes in Gravesend have all felt the force of a community clean up, supported by Kent County Council and their local district councils.
Volunteers from youth groups, primary school pupils, Police Community Support Officers and individuals, have all taken part in clean up activities, bringing community spirit and pride to the task of making their local parks, beaches, streets and schools clean and litter free.
Kent County Council Cabinet Member for Environment, Highways and Waste Nick Chard said:
"I’d like to thank Clean Kent volunteers for their hard work and dedication; they make a big difference towards keeping Kent clean and safe".
Local volunteer Crispin Davies describes why he gets involved:
"I like the community in which I work. I get annoyed at litter on the roadsides and in the playing field. Complaining will not prevent it, but community clean up days will remove it. We combine litter picking events with other practical jobs that improve the local community - painting the play equipment, repairing the playing field fence and planting the flower at strategic points in the village."
If you would like to join forces with your neighbours and local community groups to do a community clean up, Kent County Council can help you by providing all the equipment and support you need to make it easy and safe to be involved.
To find out more go to www.cleankent.co.uk or call us on 0845 345 0210.
School celebrates Red Flag status!
August 2010
Pupils at Istead Rise Primary School are celebrating becoming the 9th school in Kent to achieve red flag status from the Clean Kent Schools accreditation scheme.
Clean Kent Schools launched in 2007 by Kent County Council, supports the Kent Eco-School programme, to recognise and reward schools actively making a difference to the quality and cleanliness of their school estate and local community. Schools participating in the scheme can be accredited as a Bronze, Silver or Red Flag establishment.
To achieve their red flag the pupils worked with the support of their KCC Community Warden to undertake a community clean-up to help keep their local area litter free. The clean-up involved each year group litter picking their own particular ‘hot spot’ including the school grounds, local footpaths and alleyways around the school.
Melanie Price, Clean Kent Campaign at Kent County Council comments:
"We are delighted to see Istead Rise School awarded with this top award. The Red Flag is a result of the children and staff's dedicated hard work to ensure that their school is litter free and waste is kept to a minimum. Their efforts reinforce the Clean Kent Campaign objectives of making Kent a cleaner county that we can all enjoy and be proud of."
Pupils involved in the Clean Kent accreditation scheme at Istead Rise Primary school said:
"We are really proud of our achievement. As a school we plan to keep up our hard work in looking after the school and local area in keeping it clean. We really enjoy the opportunity of caring for our environment; many of us have learnt the valuable lesson of being considerate for what we have around us. We would like to say thank you for everyone who supported us in gaining this award."
Challock Primary School leading the way
20th July 2010
The pupils and teachers of Challock Primary School at Challock, Ashford are celebrating, having been presented with the Clean Kent Schools Red Flag award. This top accolade is Challock’s latest ‘green’ achievement and demonstrates their commitment to a clean and safe environment.
Clean Kent Schools launched in 2007 by Kent County Council, supports the Kent Eco-School programme, to recognise and reward schools actively making a difference to the quality and cleanliness of their school estate and local community. Schools participating in the scheme can be accredited as a Bronze, Silver or Red Flag establishment.
To achieve their red flag the pupils at Challock Primary surveyed their local community to find out residents’ perception of litter, which also generated interest and support for a community litter pick. The children innovatively used the local Post Office as a return point for surveys.
Challock Primary School’s headteacher, Ms. Susan. Petrie comments:
"We are thrilled to have been awarded the Clean Kent Schools Red Flag in recognition of the efforts of our pupils and their commitment to keep the school and local area litter free. The pupils, and local residents, are proud that they are all making a difference."
Platt School pupils pick up top green award
28th May 2010
Pupils at Platt Church of England Primary School, in Sevenoaks, are celebrating a special award for keeping their community clean.
They became the tenth school in Kent to achieve red flag status from Kent County Council’s Clean Kent Schools programme.
The scheme, which was launched in 2007, recognises and rewards schools that improve the quality and cleanliness of their school grounds and local community. Participating schools can be accredited as a Bronze, Silver or Red Flag establishment.
Janice Webb, eco coordinator for Platt Church of England Primary School, said:
"The children have worked hard keeping the school free from litter. With the help of parents, we have tried to keep our immediate neighbourhood clean. The children understand the importance of maintaining the environment litter free for the protection of wildlife. As a school we recycle as much as possible. Our aim is always to reduce, recycle and reuse."
St George's fly the flag for Clean Kent!
8th March 2010
The pupils and teachers of St George's Church of England Primary School at Wrotham are celebrating, having been presented with the Clean Kent Schools Red Flag award. This top accolade is St George's latest 'green' achievement and demonstrates their commitment to a clean and safe environment.
Clean Kent Schools launched in 2007 by Kent County Council, supports the Kent Eco-School programme, to recognise and reward schools actively making a difference to the quality and cleanliness of their school estate and local community. Schools participating in the scheme can be accredited as a Bronze, Silver or Red Flag establishment.
To achieve their red flag, all the classes at St George's rolled up their sleeves and cleared up their school grounds finding a scooter and several car parts along the way! In addition, they have been sharing their ideas and experiences with another local primary school set to follow in their footsteps.
St George's School Head Teacher Mr David Jones comments:
We are proud to have been awarded the Clean Kent Schools Red Flag which recognises the hard work made by our pupils in keeping the school and local area litter free. It's lovely to be able to celebrate this achievement and feel proud that we are all making a difference.
The presentation by Clean Kent took part at the school on Monday 8th March.
Man arrested for flytipping.
10th February 2010
A man has been arrested in Essex today for multiple flytipping offences across Romney Marsh.
The arrest follows an investigation by Shepway District Council and supported by Clean Kent officers at Kent County Council. The man, from Chelmsford, Essex is believed to have flytipped approximately 500 car tyres at five locations on the Marsh in October 2009, according to intelligence supplied by the Kent Police Shepway West Neighbourhood team.
As part of the investigation, the suspect was taken to South Woodham Ferrers Police Station and questioned by Shepway and KCC enforcement officers. As a result of the interview, he has been reported for summons for five offences under Section 33 of the Environmental protection Act 1990.
The county and district councils supported by the Police and other agencies, work closely to tackle environmental crime of this nature, through the Clean Kent Campaign partnership. Enforcement tactics and other initiatives have resulted in a 61% reduction in flytipping incidences since 2004/05 - one of the key targets of the Clean Kent campaign.
Cllr Hugh Barker, Shepway's Cabinet Member for Planning and Community Safety, said:
One of the council's key objectives is to improve the appearance of the district. This involves everything from making sure our streets are clean to taking actions against flytipping, which creates a blot on Shepway's beautiful landscape. This arrest shows that we are prepared to follow through these actions and will serve as a warning to others that blighting our landscape will not be tolerated.
Nick Chard, Kent County Council's Cabinet Member for Environment, Highways & Waste said:
We are pleased to be working with local councils to support investigations and prosecutions against those who blight our landscape in Kent by dumping their rubbish. Flytipping is an anti-social act and a criminal offence and we will not tolerate it.
A clean sweep for Aldington pupils!
8th February 2010
A celebration is taking place at Aldington Primary School near Ashford, with pupils and teachers being awarded a top accolade! The school have achieved red flag status from the Clean Kent Schools accreditation scheme and are the 7th school in the county to do so.
Clean Kent Schools was launched in 2007 aligned to Kent Eco-Schools, to recognise and reward those that show commitment to the cleanliness of their estate and local area. Primary schools participating can achieve bronze, silver and red flag levels of achievement.
The children of Aldington School have been regularly litter picking their school grounds, and with support from the local KCC Community Warden, undertook a clean up around their village green. The pupils are also spreading the word by sharing their good work and knowledge with another local primary school, helping them to be clean, green and safe!
Nick Chard, Kent County Council's Cabinet Member for Environment, Highways & Waste said:
Aldington Primary School is one of nearly 200 schools working to gain a Clean Kent Schools accreditation. I am particularly impressed that the children are not only keeping their school grounds clean and tidy, but also their village for the benefit of others.
Sandra MacCourt, Head teacher at Aldington Primary said,
I am very proud of the achievements of the pupils at the school. They set themselves clear goals and work purposefully towards achieving them. The school has already attained Eco-school Green Flag, runs a Walking Bus and is actively participating in the Bike-It scheme. The Clean Kent School Red Flag award takes us a step further towards becoming a sustainable school and has helped to raise children's awareness of how they can contribute, as good citizens, to enhancing their local environment.
Man arrested for flytipping
21st January 2010
Following a joint investigation between Clean Kent and Kent Police into multiple flytipping offences in North Kent, the police yesterday arrested a man aged 27 from Charlton, South London. He is believed to have deposited large quantities of building materials during November - December 2009 in the rural areas around Cobham and Luddesdown, which are designated as Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty.
As part of the investigation, the suspect was taken to North Kent Police Station and questioned by enforcement officers from the Kent County Council Clean Kent enforcement team. He was subsequently released having been reported for summons.
Nick Chard, Kent County Council's Cabinet Member for Environment, Highways & Waste said:
Flytipping is an anti-social act and a criminal offence. The deliberate abuse of our environment and countryside is something that will not be tolerated in Kent. I am pleased that offences like this one are being investigated and pursued through legal means.
Gravesham Borough Council Cabinet member for clean, green and safety issues Cllr John Cubitt said:
We have to continue to send the message that the council and its partners will not tolerate dumping of waste and rubbish and we will all work together to get just results.
Kent County Council's enforcement team, work on behalf of the district and borough councils, supported by the Police and other agencies to tackle environmental crime. This work and other initiatives have resulted in a 61% reduction in flytipping incidences since 2004 - one of the key targets of the Clean Kent campaign.
Green students win top awards
14th January 2010
An eco-friendly school is having a double celebration after being awarded two top green awards.
Christ Church in Folkestone has been handed an Eco-Schools Green Flag, which is the highest accolade achievable under the international Eco-Schools programme. The flag shows that the whole school is committed to improving its environment. Only 47 schools in Kent currently have a Green Eco-Schools Flag.
Part of the school's green efforts include a group of year 3 to year 6 pupils forming an eco committee - called Planet Pirates Team - which meets regularly to discuss environmental issues around the school.
The school has also been awarded a Red Flag as part of the Clean Kent Schools programme. Clean Kent Schools launched in 2007 and work closely with Kent Eco-Schools to recognize and reward schools who show commitment to the environment.
As the criteria to achieve a Red Flag is integrated into the Eco-Schools project, Christ Church school was able to work on both at the same time. Amongst other things the school needed to demonstrate its commitment to keeping both school grounds and wider community litter free. The pupils carried out a survey questioning local residents and businesses about their views on litter. The pupils then used this information to organise a clean up in the local community.
John Davies, chairman of Kent County Council presented the school with the Green Flag award. He said:
The children at Christ Church are taking the environment seriously. They are doing a number of things to make the school greener. As part of their efforts, they like to encourage wild life into their school grounds by having a wild area, bird boxes and a pond. They are also planning on having allotments. This is excellent news and I hope more schools get involved in the programme.
The school first registered as an Eco-School in May 2003 and gained their Bronze Certificate Award in November 2005 and their Silver Certificate Award in May 2008.
Headteacher Jim Kreiselmeier said:
We believe that monitoring and reducing the amount of energy we use and making efficient use of our site is the best means to plan for a sustainable future. By being an Eco-School we are encouraging all members of our community to be aware and responsible for the environment in which they live and work to safeguard it for future generations.
Kent County Council cleans up at the CIPR Awards!
29th October 2009
Kent County Council has scooped an impressive FOUR awards for the Clean Kent Campaign at this year's CIPR PRide Awards for the Home Counties South region.
The annual awards, organised by the Chartered Institute of Public Relations, was held in Brighton on 27th October at the Brighton Hilton Metropole. Clean Kent, a multi-agency initiative that tackles the issues of littering and flytipping and environmental anti-social behaviour received the following accolades:
- Gold Award for the campaign "Fight Flytipping" in the Community Relations category
- Gold Award for the web site www.cleankent.com in the Best Website or Microsite category
- Silver Award for the campaign "Fight Flytipping" in the Not for Profit category
- Silver Award for the campaign "Fight Flytipping" in the Integrated Communications category
- And Finalist award for the "Animation Awards" in the Best Campaign £10K and under category.
All the winning campaigns were highly commended by the judges. Fight Flytipping, a project targeting environmental crime, was praised because it "engaged with local people and the resulting decrease in the incidence of flytipping (down year on year by 36%) is testimony to the effectiveness of this well thought, thorough and impactful campaign."
The judges were also very impressed with the Clean Kent website, commenting that it is "an informative and comprehensive website which tackles the issue of flytipping and litter."
On winning the awards, Clean Kent Co-ordinator Melanie Price said:
We are thrilled that the projects have been acknowledged and won CIPR PRide awards! It is a fantastic achievement for our work to have been judged among the best in the UK.
Cabinet Member for Environment, Waste and Highways Nick Chard added:
For our initiatives to be shortlisted was an honour, but to win two golds and two silvers is testament to the hard work, dedication and creativity that all the partners have contributed to Clean Kent.
Kent County Council unveils latest tool in fight against fly tippers.
24th September 2009
Kent County Council is set to become the first county council in the UK to use SmartWater, an innovative crime reduction strategy which will help in the fight against fly tipping. SmartWater incorporates state of the art forensic technology which will be used strategically as part of a proactive drive by Clean Kent to try and eliminate this type of environmental crime by bringing those responsible to justice.
The Clean Kent Campaign, co-ordinated by Kent County Council is introducing SmartWater to householders in trial locations in Kent from the end of September. The aim of the project is to further protect householders against rogue traders and to discourage fly tipping by sending a serious warning to potential and existing flytippers.
SmartWater is being used proactively to forensically link fly tipped waste with the person responsible for its disposal. Each batch of SmartWater is forensically unique and provides an invisible and permanent trace to the waste. This will allow enforcement officers both at Kent County Council and Districts to irrefutably identify the trader responsible for its removal, helping to support criminal investigations which could lead to prosecution.
The traceability of SmartWater will allow Clean Kent to not only target those "professionally" engaged with this type of environmental crime, it will also provide an opportunity to recover assets from offenders under the Proceeds of Crime Act. This can include financial or physical assets, such as vehicles, the proceeds of which will be reinvested into the initiative - so the only person out of pocket is the criminal.
Research undertaken by the Kent Fire and Rescue Service has proved that SmartWater"s forensic signatures can withstand extensive periods of burning, ensuring that fly-tippers will be unable to cover their tracks through setting fire to the fly-tipped waste.
If looking to dispose of waste, householders should follow the "Duty of Care" legislation using Clean Kent"s simple steps to check that the trades people they employ are licensed waste carriers. With the help of SmartWater, Clean Kent will be able to trace fly tipped waste to the 'waste carrier" responsible to a crime scene; providing an even stronger deterrent against the unscrupulous act of fly tipping and further help protect residents from rogue traders.
David Brazier, Lead Member for Environment, Highways and Waste said:
Clean Kent has already achieved a reduction of fly tipping by over 61% and is proud to be the first to offer this service to our residents. We hope that these additional tools will reassure householders and further add strength to the campaign to fight fly tipping and to keep our county clean and beautiful.
SmartWater Chief Executive Phil Cleary, said:
The use of SmartWater will help to reinforce the message to criminals that Kent is now a no-go zone for flytippers. Through SmartWater, Clean Kent will have the technology to pursue convictions and will actively do so. SmartWater maintains a 100% conviction rate when used as evidence in court, which will send a very strong message to anyone considering flytipping.
Clean Kent unveiled SmartWater and demonstrated the process of deploying the solution and how it is detected to the media, partners and other local authorities on Wednesday 23rd September at Maidstone Studios in Kent. The event was hosted by Nicky Campbell - BBC Breakfast Presenter for Radio 5.
Fly tipping is a serious criminal activity and offenders can face prison sentences of up to five years or a maximum fine of £50,000. Since March 2008, Clean Kent has achieved notable convictions against rogue traders, with the number of fly tipping incidents dropping by 61.5% across Kent in the last five years.
Clean Kent partners up with Kent Fire and Rescue to crack down on wheelie bin fires.
25th August 2009
A fire in a wheeled bin might seem like harmless fun if you are a teenager, but it is a serious crime that can have disastrous consequences. Clean Kent's latest campaign, "Fire's Not Funny", led by Kent Fire and Rescue Service (KFRS) sets out to highlight the dangers of contained wheelie bin and loose rubbish fires to young people in the key areas where recent KFRS data indicates a raised level of rubbish fires.
The campaign aims to engage with young people in local communities and hopes to raise awareness of the dangers and damage caused by commercial wheeled bin fires and loose rubbish fires. KFRS staff have been and will be positioned in various locations in Thanet, Swale, Gravesham, Dartford and Ashford.
Young adults will be given scratch cards by KFRS staff directing them to the Clean Kent website where they will be asked to watch a short informative film on the dangers of wheelie bin fires. They will then need to answer a few questions to be entered into a prize draw to win an Xbox or ITunes and GAME vouchers. The activities will also be supported by a radio campaign that will run across Kent.
Stuart Skilton, Kent Fire and Rescue Service comments,
From our work with Clean Kent, we identified wheeled bin fires as a real and dangerous issue in the county and specifically in these areas.
Deliberately started fires of this nature not only put the lives of the general public and firefighters at risk but also have devastating consequences on businesses as well. As part of Clean Kent's ongoing commitment to reduce rubbish fires, we have seen a countywide reduction in these crimes by 40 per cent* but need now to bring this particular issue to the public's attention.
Clean Kent's Coordinator, Melanie Price adds:
The campaign will aim to influence a change in attitudes and behaviours in young adults and prevent and deter, deliberate fire setting amongst young people. Wheeled bin fires and rubbish fires all relate back to the issue of anti-social behaviour. Clean Kent and our partners are all dedicated to eradicating these behaviours in order to make our county a clean and safe one.
*Source: Kent Agreement 1, Outcome 14 Final Data, Kent County Council and Kent Fire and Rescue Service.
Clean Kent catches Gravesend flytippers.
18th August 2009
The Clean Kent enforcement team at Kent County Council has successfully caught two flytippers operating in Gravesend.
William Ball and Leonard Howard, of Halstow Lane, Upchurch, Sittingbourne both builders by trade, were found guilty of dumping refuse consisting of approximately 20 clear plastic sacks and carpet in Dering Way, Gravesend on 15th May 2009.
Pleading guilty at Dartford Magistrates Court on the 14th August 2009, Mr Ball and Mr Howard each received a £300 fine, £700 contribution towards cost and £15 victim surcharge. During interview they admitted that they knew flytipping to be an illegal activity and an environmental crime.
Commenting on behalf of Kent County Council, Nick Chard Cabinet Member for Environment, Highways and Waste added:
Environmental crimes of this nature are not just a blight on our landscape but are also costing us dear in monetary terms: annually the UK spends over £1.5bn dealing with flytipping. Kent County Council and the Clean Kent Campaign are committed to bringing flytippers to justice so that our residents can enjoy a safe and beautiful county.
Councillor John Cubitt, Gravesham Borough Council's Cabinet member for environmental issues said:
The message is clear, flytippers should be aware that local authorities are working closely with partners and will prosecute offenders responsible for this anti-social and illegal activity.
