Video tapes, cardboard boxes and broken furniture – just some of the items illegally dumped in the district which have lead to several people being prosecuted by South Gloucestershire Council.

The cases of illegal fly-tippers brought to book include:

Martin Collins, of Hardy Lane, Tockington, pleaded guilty to fly-tipping waste near the railway station in Pilning on 17th March. During a clean up operation, council officers found correspondence addressed to Collins and when interviewed by police he fully admitted the offence. He was convicted of fly-tipping black bin bags containing household waste, sheets of insulation, video tapes, cardboard boxes and plastic electrical wire casing. He was also fined £65 and ordered to pay the council’s legal costs of around £415.

Council officers saw Emily Evans, from Southmead Road, Bristol, fly-tipping pieces of broken furniture at Berwick Lane, Easter Compton on 5th April. Evans pleaded guilty to the offence and now has a conviction for fly-tipping. She was fined £65 and ordered to pay the council’s costs of around £500.

And an off duty police officer stopped to question Owen O’Brien, of Jordan Walk, Bradley Stoke, after he saw him acting suspiciously in Hoovers Lane, Iron Acton on 28th March. He had fly-tipped two black bin bags full of waste. He admitted the offence and was fined £100 and ordered to pay around £414 costs

Officers also found evidence of envirocrimes relating to Avon Video Stores based on North Street, Bedminster. Waste from this shop had been fly-tipped across the region over a weekend in February. Derek Thomas, a partner in the business from Oxbarton, Stoke Gifford was found guilty of fly-tipping waste in Bath and in North Somerset. And although Thomas pleaded not guilty to fly-tipping waste in South Gloucestershire, the case is a good example of how local councils are working together to combat incidents of cross border fly-tipping.

Cllr James Hunt, executive member for communities, said:

“Household waste can be legally disposed of and so there is no excuse for fly-tipping. As these successful prosecutions demonstrate we have always operated a zero tolerance policy to the illegal dumping of waste. Our message on preventing fly-tipping is simple – if you see it, report it. You can do so by calling the Street Care helpdesk on 01454 868000, emailing streetcare@southglos.gov.uk or visiting www.southglos.gov.uk/flytipping.”

These cases were heard at Yate Magistrate’s Court on Tuesday 27th September.

Longwell Green residents, MP Chris Skidmore and local councillors Christine Price and John Calway are celebrating after saving the local Green Belt from being bulldozed by developers after a hard-fought community campaign.

The long-running campaign collected nearly 1,000 petition signatures and a protest demonstration was held with over 200 local residents turning up to show the strength of support for their local Green Belt.

The victory comes as an independent Planning Inspector dismissed an appeal for 83 houses on a Green Belt site at Williams Close, Longwell Green, following a four-day appeal hearing.

Cllr Christine Price (Con, Longwell Green), who attended the appeal hearing, welcomed the news:

“The tireless efforts of local residents made a huge difference in terms of demonstrating the strength of local feeling that there was against this hugely inappropriate application.”

“The Green Belt is there for a reason and I am pleased to see that the inspector has exposed as nonsense the developer’s claim that special circumstances existed for such a damaging development.”

Fellow Longwell Green Conservative councillor, John Calway, added:

“This result is fantastic. Residents’ efforts, in support of the council, have really paid off and they should be really proud of how they have protected their neighbourhood and our local Green belt for generations to come.”

Chris Skidmore MP, who submitted a written appeal against the application, commented:

“I am delighted that the Inspector has decided in favour of residents and common sense.”

“Together we have fought a strong campaign to defend the Kingswood Green Belt with nearly 1,000 people signing our petition and taking the concerns of residents all the way to parliament and the government.”

This was the final chapter of this saga, which is now over. I would like to thank everyone who supported us; this is a clear example of what the local community can achieve when we all come together.”

A group of councillors in South Gloucestershire is claiming that the local Council is missing out on recycling a large amount of plastic.

South Gloucestershire Council recently introduced collection of plastic bottles from residents’ doorsteps as part of a new recycling programme. The authority has subsequently withdrawn plastic recycling banks from a number of locations across the area claiming that they are not needed.

However, with the new doorstep collection regime, residents can only recycle plastic bottles and SITA, the Council’s waste contractors, will not empty residents’ plastic recycling bags if they contain anything other than plastic bottles. Previously, residents could use the recycling banks to recycle any plastic containers made of Type 1 (PET) or Type 2 plastic (HDPE) – the plastics that most bottles are made from.

Cllr Pat Rooney, Labour’s spokesperson for recycling explained:

“Most plastic bottles are made of type 1 (PET) or type 2 (HDPE) plastic. There are, however, a large number of plastic items that are not bottle-shaped but which are made from the same types of plastic as bottles and could be recycled. The Council is, however, refusing to allow anything other than bottles to be placed in the recycling bags.”

In the summer of 2007, complaints by Labour councillors led to the Council allowing residents to put non-bottle shaped plastic containers made from Type 1 or Type 2 plastics into the recycling banks. Now the councillors want to see the Council sending out the same message with the doorstep collection.

Deputy leader of the Labour Group, Cllr Andy Perkins, added:

“I believe the Council has a role in increasing awareness about recycling and alerting people to what can and can’t be recycled. Most plastics now carry recycling symbols so it is quite straightforward to check whether a plastic container is made of the right type of plastic for recycling. If we engage people more in recycling, it can only help to increase the amount of material generally that is recycled.”

South Gloucestershire Council is supporting the Big Spring Clean Campaign 2011 which runs from 1st March to 30th April and is encouraging everyone to join them. From schools to scouts and voluntary group to businesses, all are invited to take action against litter. Groups are being asked to register their interest early so litter picking equipment can be organised ahead of the campaign.

Cllr Heather Goddard, South Gloucestershire Council’s executive member for communities, said: “The Big Spring Clean is the Big Society in action and is always hugely popular in South Gloucestershire, which is undoubtedly down to the fact that people are really proud of the district as a place to live and work.”

“We want to encourage as many volunteers as possible to take part in the Big Spring Clean. This event can make a big difference. By reducing the litter we will improve the quality of the environment and make the green spaces of South Gloucestershire even more inviting to visit and enjoy.”

“We’re hoping for a really good response to this year’s campaign and I look forward to seeing and hearing about the results of the Big Spring Clean 2011!”

Many groups already take part in voluntary clean-ups during the year, but the Spring Clean event provides an opportunity for local groups and individuals to play an important part in a bigger, co-ordinated campaign. It is an ideal occasion for anyone who cares about their local environment to venture down to their local open space, woodland, river, park or public garden and take action.

Fresh air and exercise are just two of the benefits of the Spring Clean. However, the best result will be that both visitors and residents will be able to enjoy South Gloucestershire looking its best.

Free gloves, refuse sacks and skips are on offer to groups who organise a community Spring Clean event. But supplies are limited so anyone interested needs to register early. The council will also arrange to collect all the litter as long as it is bagged and locations for collections are agreed in advance.

Copies of Big Spring Clean booking forms, and further information about how you can get involved in South Gloucestershire Council’s Big Spring Clean campaign can be found at www.southglos.gov.uk/BigSpringClean or alternatively contact South Gloucestershire Council on 01454 863592.

Related links:

• The Big Tidy Up (Keep Britain Tidy)
• LitterAction (Campaign to Protect Rural England)

Almost £75,000 has been awarded to 33 community groups across the district to support community action, volunteering and environmental improvement this financial year.

Councillor Brian Allinson, executive member for Planning, Transportation and Strategic Environment said: “As part of building the Big Society, the council is committed to providing the resources forhelping local communities who want totake an active role in looking after the environment and the benefits that this provides for people, places and wildlife.

“The Environment Grant supports a broad range of environmental projects, for example, enhancing biodiversity, improving access to green spaces, supporting community events and learning, and promoting low-carbon, sustainable lifestyles.”

The Environment Grant provides up to 80% of total project costs where there is demonstrated community involvement and environmental benefit. Applicants are required to contribute 20% of total project costs, which can be made up of cash, materials in kind or the value of volunteer labour.

One group that has benefited is Mangotsfield Parish Council which has been awarded £729 to employ an ecologist to prepare a new site conservation management plan for Rodway Common.

Jacqueline Gregory, Parish Clerk said: “We are very grateful to South Gloucestershire Council for this generous grant. It has enabled us to obtain expert advice on how best to care and conserve Rodway Common, a much loved and well used open space, over the next five years.”

The Council also operates a grant scheme aimed at landowners and farmers to enhance the biodiversity and landscape of South Gloucestershire; the grant part-funds works such as tree planting, hedgelaying, pond restoration and dry stone walling.

Both grants have criteria that need to be met, but the simple application form and advice at the end of the phone makes it a straight forward grant to apply for. For further information please contact the Council on 01454 863581/863725 or visit the Council’s website www.southglos.gov.uk/environmentalgrants.

Following an investigation, the council brought a prosecution against John Cox, of Redfield Hill, Oldland Common after he fly-tipped six bags of waste near his home. The bags contained a combination of work-based litter and waste. Mr Cox was given a conditional discharge and ordered to pay costs of £300.

Wayne Dempsey of Casey Bottom Lane, St George fly-tipped a bed and mattress in a lane in Bitton. Mr Dempsey was fined £350 and ordered to pay costs of £600. Magistrates remarked that if Mr Dempsey had taken the bed and mattress to an appropriate civic amenity site, he could have disposed of them for free.

Also, Matthew Rees, the proprietor and director of Reece Environmental Ltd, was fined £500 and ordered to pay costs of £800, after waste was seen falling from the vehicle he was driving along the Ring Road. Mr Rees’ solicitor said in court that measures were now in place to prevent this from happening again in the future.

And Craig Manley, of Salcombe Road, Knowle was fined £365 and ordered to pay costs of £600, after waste was also seen escaping from the same vehicle that Mr Rees had been driving the previous day.

Councillor Heather Goddard, executive member for communities, said: “South Gloucestershire Council will not tolerate the minority who fly-tip and drop litter. Their irresponsible actions spoil the appearance of the district, pollute the environment, can pose a safety hazard and costs taxpayers a considerable amount of money to clear up. It costs £50,000 per year alone to clear litter from the Ring Road. We will continue to take action against individuals and businesses who flout the law in this way.”

All the defendants were charged under the Environmental Protection Act (1990). They all appeared at North Avon Magistrates’ Court recently and pleaded guilty to the offences.

The council is currently pursuing further legal action against other individuals and businesses who it alleges have been fly-tipping and littering in the district.

New recycling services are well underway in South Gloucestershire and many residents have been recycling their food waste and plastic bottles from the kerbside, says South Gloucestershire Council.

The additional services, which are being funded from within the council’s existing waste management budget, allow residents to recycle more, helping to divert more rubbish from landfill and saving money and energy whilst benefiting the environment.

Cllr Heather Goddard, executive member for communities, said: “Overall, the first week of the major new recycling services across the district has been a success. A good number of residents have started to use the food waste bins and put out either their plastic bottles or cardboard, depending on their schedule, which is incredibly pleasing and I would like to thank them for their support. We expect the volume of materials for recycling to increase in the coming weeks as residents get used to the new services.”

Plastic bottles collected from residents are taken to SITA UK’s Collett Way site in Yate where they are compacted and tied into 400kg bales which are then sold to the recycling industry, where there is a well established market. Plastic bottles can be recycled into many different things, including new plastic products, such as bin liners, compost bins and new bottles, and even fleece jackets.

The new service operates on a two-week cycle. One week residents will put out their:

• Black bin
• Food waste bin
• Plastic bottle bag

And the following week:

• Green bin for garden waste ONLY
• Food waste bin
• Cardboard (this no longer goes in the green bin; cardboard can be collected in the largest cardboard box, or flattened and placed under the food waste bin)
• Green box (glass bottles and jars, tins etc)
• Green bag (paper)

Organised by local conservation group, St John’s Park Conservation Group, with the support of South Gloucestershire Council, the ancient custom of tree dressing has been revived to help promote the value of trees to both people and wildlife.

Taking place on Saturday 11th December from 12.30 to 3.30pm in the green spaces of St John’s Park estate, on the riverside footpath between Wickwar Road and Hatters Lane, the event will involve a range of exciting activities for all the family to celebrate trees, including the dressing of a tree with artwork and natural sculptures.

Activities on offer will include environmental art workshops, bird feeder making and winter safaris. The artwork developed during the event will contribute to the production of an information panel to be sited in the area.

Participation is free and open to all and it will provide an opportunity to see an outdoor art gallery of stunning sculptures made by students from St John’s Mead primary school. The students have been helping to design the new information panel.

Trees are venerated all over the world in different forms and the custom of tree dressing takes place at different times of the year. In France on May Day trees are decked with flowers, whilst in India during winter trees are painted with vermillion and turmeric. In Scotland, trees standing beside certain wells are hung with thousands of strips of cloth and in Africa rings of palm leaves are placed around the trunks of silk cotton trees.

Wick Golden Valley Local Nature Reserve in South Gloucestershire has been awarded a Green Flag by Keep Britain Tidy for the way in which it is managed.

The Green Flag is awarded annually to organisations that meet the national recognised standard for maintaining parks or open spaces and this is the third year in a row the site has won this prestigious award.

The reserve is owned by building materials company CEMEX and is managed in partnership with South Gloucestershire Council and the local community group, the Friends of Wick Golden Valley Local Nature Reserve.

The Green Flag Award is given to parks and open spaces which meet the following criteria:

• A welcoming place
• Healthy, safe and secure
• Clean and well maintained
• Sustainability
• Conservation and Heritage
• Community involvement
• Marketing
• Management

Cllr Janet Biggin, Chair of South Gloucestershire Council, said: “The nature reserve in Wick is such a unique place with such a diverse habitat so readily accessible to the local community and I am delighted that it has been chosen to receive this award. It was once an ochre processing factory which has become a haven for wildlife, with the remnants of its industrial past hidden amongst the vegetation. Visitors also flock to the woodland to follow the audio bat trail and the river provides a home for many birds including kingfishers and dippers, and it also supports otters and a wide variety of fish and aquatic life.”

As well as the Green Flag award, Wick is also celebrating its fifth year as a nature reserve which has also become an important habitat supporting peregrine falcons who nest in the adjacent quarry.

Matthew Wild, regional director of CEMEX Aggregates Southern region, said: “As one of the UK’s leading providers of aggregates, cement and ready mixed concrete, we recognise that our business has consequences for people and the environment. It is a key challenge for us to balance these impacts with the need to build a more sustainable future. We’re a major landowner in the UK, and with land ownership and quarrying come good stewardship responsibilities and the moral obligation to return land to good use with enhanced biodiversity once operations have ceased.

“The Wick Golden Valley Local Nature Reserve is a prime example of how land that has been disturbed by quarrying and industrial processes can be returned to nature, and how partnerships between CEMEX and local authorities, in this case South Gloucestershire Council, and local community groups can result in flagship, high quality nature reserves with improved habitats for wildlife.”

The clean up, conducted by South Gloucestershire Council over a three week period, involved considerable resources, including lane closures. The rubbish is thought to have been thrown out of vehicles or escaped from unsecured loads.

The spring clean was accompanied by a joint operation between council officers and the police targeting both individual motorists who throw rubbish from their cars and hauliers who allow waste to escape from their vehicles.

Littering motorists are liable to pay a £75 fixed penalty notice whilst hauliers can be fined considerably more – last year a local company received a fine and costs totalling £3,520 after being found guilty of allowing waste to escape from one of its vehicles onto the ring road.

Cllr Heather Goddard, executive member for communities, said: “The council spends around £50,000 every year to clear up litter, debris and the results of fly tipping on the ring road. This is a significant sum of money, so the council is committed to enforcement action to catch litter offenders and fly tippers in the act.

“The message is simple – if you are a motorist take your litter home with you and do not throw it from your vehicle. If you are a haulier ensure that all loads are secured and that waste does not escape onto the highway. Our officers are on patrol to ensure that these simple rules are adhered to.”

The clean up took place in March and further operations will be carried out this year.