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Apr 2021

Environment

Harrogate council: zero fines for littering or dog fouling in 12 months

Published: 9 Apr 2021, 06:10 BST

by Thomas Barrett

A conservation group says the situation won't improve without enforcement. But the council says the issues 'are not a major problem' and the district is by and large clean and tidy.

Harrogate Borough Council has revealed it hasn't issued any fines in the last year to people who drop litter or allow their dogs to foul in public.

The two issues have been hot topics recently.

The Stray has been a litter hotspot over the past year with takeaway boxes, leftover food, beer bottles and cans frequently discarded.

The Pinewoods Conservation Group has also highlighted on social media the problem of empty plastic bottles and other waste being left in the woodland.

Meanwhile, people have complained about an increase in dog owners leaving poo bags tied to trees, dumped in bushes or even thrown into private gardens.

Pateley Bridge Town Council is due to consider on Tuesday what action it can take against dog fouling at the play area.

A spokesperson from Pinewoods Conservation Group said:

"Litter has always been a major issue for us but seems to have worsened over the last 12 months.

"We often report specific areas of concern to the council but also have a number of volunteers who continue to work hard collecting litter from within and around The Pinewoods.

"Seeing large number dog waste left in plastic bags is specifically disappointing but a regular sight along the main footpaths. We would certainly encourage more enforcement of the rules with fines being applied where necessary. Without this it is difficult to see the situation improving.”

The council can issue fixed penalty notices of £100 for littering and up to £80 for dog fouling.

But a council spokeswoman told the Stray Ferret littering and dog fouling were "not a major problem" in the district.

Deja vu on the Stray, as party ends with litter

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Yorkshire Live reported last week that Harrogate Borough Council was one of two councils in North Yorkshire that had not issued any fines for littering in two years.

A council spokeswoman said:

"The fact we’ve not issued any fines in the last 12 months is because littering and dog fouling is not a major problem and we have dedicated teams of people who keep the Harrogate district clean and tidy.

"Dedicating officers to deal with this issue is very resource intensive, and requires us having people in the right place at the right time to catch someone committing an offence within the 505 square miles of the district.

"We are very fortunate that the vast majority of people who live here or come to visit take considerable pride in the appearance of the area. Because of this they do the right thing and pick up after their dog, don’t drop litter and dispose of their waste responsibly."

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Harrogate council: zero fines for littering or dog fouling in 12 months

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