Surrey Homes | SH17 | March 2016 | Fashion supplement inside

The
Green
Goddess
Penny Kemp
shares her tips
for taking care
of the natural
world...
FreeImages.com/BotondFerenczy
I
was travelling to an appointment in Maidstone and decided to
go via the country lanes as the main road was so busy. During
this trip, which is less than ten miles, I saw three separate
incidents of fly-tipping on route; one a pile of builder’s rubble,
and the others black plastic bags that had spilled their contents all
over the verge creating an unsightly mess and a hazard to wildlife.
Local authorities spent nearly £50 million last year clearing
unlawful fly tipping, of which nearly two thirds was household
waste. Add to this the money spent clearing general litter from
our streets and the figure rises to nearly one billion pounds. This
money could pay for 4,400 libraries or 33,000 nurses. At the end
of the day, we are all paying, through our taxes, for other people’s
disregard for our environment.
My own borough, Maidstone, spent more than £60,000 last
year on clearing up fly tipping and received a mere £75 in fines
from prosecutions. Add in general street cleaning and graffiti
clearance, this figure jumps to around £1.5 million or £10.75
per head. Tunbridge Wells spent nearly £80,000 on fly tipping
clearance and received £350 in fines. Kent’s total bill for litter is
around £15 million a year. These figures are all approximate as
they are very hard to extrapolate from the expenditure figures
provided by councils as some councils have joint agreements with
other boroughs. When I phoned the council, they were unable to
give me exact figures and suggested I apply under a freedom of
information question.
This crime, for that is what it is, caused over 69,000 animals to
either be killed or seriously injured last year in the UK. Worldwide
marine pollution, mainly plastic, claimed the lives of 100,000
mammals and over 1 million birds. The RSPCA receive over
7000 calls each year about litter-related incidents -- from a badger
with a plastic can holder embedded in its neck to a dog that had
lacerated its tongue on a discarded can. The dog sadly died.
We can all do something. Pick up that piece of litter before it
injures a creature. Report fly-tipping to your local authority and if
you see someone fly-tipping, try and get details of the vehicle but
don’t put yourself in any danger. People that fly-tip are criminals
and may be violent if you approach them. There is a website
all about fly tipping and prevention:
www.tacklingflytipping.com/home/1508
Join a litter-picking campaign in your area, many villages have
days when residents litter-pick. Contact your parish clerk to
find out if there is a scheme in your area and if not, why not get
together with friends to start a litter pick.
Posh Pet Parlour
01932 842000
Dog and Cat Grooming • Bathing • Clipping
Hand Stripping • Scissoring • Creative Dye
Pick Up Drop Offs | Microchipping | Dog Sitting
www.poshpetparlour.co.uk
Old Heath Road, Weybridge, Surrey
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