Litter, street cleaning and dog fouling
Litter and street cleaning
We are getting lots of reports of overflowing bins due to an increase in dog walkers because of Coronavirus. If you see an overflowing bin please take your rubbish and dog waste home with you if possible.
We remove litter and fly-tipping from public land, including streets and roadside verges.
The four town centres of Lydney, Coleford, Cinderford and Newent are cleansed every day between 6am and 8am. The suburbs of the towns, villages and roads across the district are cleaned on a rota basis but we will carry out an emergency clean-up if necessary.
We empty litter bins regularly.
Parish and town councils are responsible for installing and emptying dog waste bins.
In addition a road sweeper sweeps the road channels (gutters) of kerbed roads to remove grit, litter and general dirt which may have accumulated.
Report a litter bin overflowing Report a street cleaning or litter problemFly-posting
Fly-posting is the unlawful display of advertisements (usually for events or businesses) pasted, attached or painted on to buildings, street furniture or other structures (including trees and the surface of the road or pavement) without the consent of the owner or the necessary permission.
It is a problem because:
- It can be unsightly and is a defacement of the property on which it is placed
- In some locations it could be a distraction to motorists
- It may obliterate or obscure legitimate signage, such as road signs
Charity events can advertise under certain conditions.
The law says:
- The application of posters, notices and stickers should be restricted to legal advertising sites which are authorised notice boards
- Persistent offenders can be issued with Fixed Penalty Notices or prosecuted
Dog fouling
Dog fouling is when a person permits a dog in their charge to foul in a public place and fails to clean it away immediately after.
A public place means land to which the public has access within built up areas of the District, which includes roads, gutters, footpaths, verges, pedestrian areas, parks, school playing fields, sports grounds, and cemeteries etc.
Ideally, dogs should be trained from an early age to go at home in their own garden before or after a walk, rather than during.
If dog fouling does occur away from home it can be quickly and easily removed using any suitable plastic bag without your hands coming into contact with the faeces. Simply place your hand inside the bag, pick up the faeces, and then pull the bag down around your hand, effectively turning it inside out, and resulting in the waste now being contained within. Tie a knot in the bag and place it in a dog waste bin or take it home for disposal. If this is not possible, as a last resort double-wrap in two plastic bags and dispose of in a litter bin.
It is a problem because:
- Dog faeces carry many germs that can cause illness and in extreme cases could result in blindness
- It is both offensive to smell and to look at, and is extremely unpleasant to step in.
Abandoned shopping trolleys
For information on how to report an abandoned shopping trolley see here.