Households face fines for leaving bins on street

Households across Derby may be fined for leaving their bins on the street on non-collection days, a councillor has warned.

City councillor Ndukwe Onuoha said letters were set to be sent to homes across Derby ahead of a city-wide crackdown.

It follows a pilot scheme last year on nine selected streets, which Labour-led Derby City Council said was successful.

Council leaders have said the crackdown will be a "huge operation" aimed at cleaning the city's streets and improving the environment, as well as people's safety.

The Local Democracy Reporting Service said householders would face fines of about £70 in the crackdown, which was likely to start later this summer.

Onuoha, cabinet member for streetpride at the authority, said recruitment for two officers was currently ongoing.

They will be deployed with the council's current public protection officers to help tackle problem bins.

The Mackworth and New Zealand councillor said: "After recruitment is finalised, we are going to start educating people because we need everyone to know they could be liable to fines if they leave their bins out there.

"We know there are terraced streets in Derby where people have the provisions to take their bins in but refuse to do so."

Budget papers showed the city council planned to spend £161,000 over the next financial year on the project.

"I believe it will be a success.

"The pilot has already told us we have had successes with nine streets across three wards.

"I think there is also a wider objective with this to get people to take responsibility with regards to keeping areas clean," Onuoha added.

Conservative councillor Gaurav Pandey said he had been pushing the council for information as to when the crackdown would begin.

He said: "There needs to be action urgently. Mackworth is struggling with fly-tipping – people are just dumping stuff wherever they want.

"It is high time action was sought. I'd like to see proper steps taken rather than just words."

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