At 8.57pm, the Mayor moved a motion to suspend Council Procedure Rule 11.1 to allow the meeting to continue beyond the 2.5 hour time limit until 10.00pm. Members indicated their agreement to the proposal.

The Motion, as printed in the Agenda was proposed by Councillor Gerrish and seconded by Councillor Kerin. The Motion read as follows:

Council calls on the Cleaner, Greener and Safer Overview and Scrutiny Committee to conduct a full review of fly tipping in private alleys, in order to:

•           Understand the scale of the issue across the borough.

•           Review the impact on residents of the council’s policy on fly tipping in private alleys.

•           Evaluate potential policy responses, including understanding the cost to the council of taking action and exploring new, more innovative solutions.

•           Make recommendations on the best approach to improving the situation.

Councillor Gerrish stated that a change was required on how fly tipping was dealt with in the borough and appreciated that there was not an easy solution. That the Cleaner Greener Safer Overview and Scrutiny Committee should lead on this initiative to recommend a clear unified approach.

Councillor Jones stated that this item would appear on the Cleaner Greener Safer Overview and Scrutiny Committee work programme and looked forward to its discussion and debate.

Councillor Tolson stated that fly tipping was a national problem and the practice needed to be changed as it was unfair to ask residents to pay more council tax for this. The Council would also not be responsible of removing fly tipping from private land and that the Bulk Waste Service was available with details on the Thurrock website.

Councillor Maney stated that the Cleaner Greener Safer Overview and Scrutiny Committee should not just look at fly tipping in alleyways but also private parking areas that seem to attract a lot of fly tipping. That the Council should also look at the Bulk Waste Service collection charges which he thought were expensive when compared to similar collections made by Basildon and Southend Councils.

Councillor Piccolo stated that the item should have been added to the Cleaner Green Safer Overview and Scrutiny Committee work programme last year rather than it coming as a Motion.

Councillor Cherry suggested that some fly tipping was carried by tenants or landlords in short term rental properties where house contents were often left in the street. The Council should enforce the law on private landlords when taking properties back from rentals that all rubbish was disposed of in the correct manner.

Councillor Gledhill agreed that it was not just alleyways being affected and that it was unfair on everybody to have to pay. It should be those responsible that should pay. Councillor Gledhill stated that care and consistency would need to be given when helping residents or large land owners with the proper level of costs for clearing away fly tipping.

Councillor Gledhill offered assistance to the Cleaner Greener Safer Overview and Scrutiny Committee to supply contact details of registered landlords in the borough.

Councillor Watkins thanked the Environment Team for their hard work and stated that he was surprised with Councillor Gerrish’s statement that Clean It Cut It Fill It was not working and suggested that the item should have been placed on the Cleaner Green Safer Overview and Scrutiny Committee work programme when he was Chair to this committee last year.

Councillor Redsell suggested that a regular “Pick Up” service could be offered that was similar to a service offered by Basildon Council. The Council needed to look at the bigger picture and how items should be disposed of correctly.

Councillor S Little encouraged residents to ensure that the person removing any bulk waste held a Waste Transfer Licence.

Councillor Kerin stated that the borough needed consistency with cross party involvement to discourage fly tipping anywhere in the borough and believed that this could be done through the Cleaner Greener Safer Overview and Scrutiny Committee and to ensure that residents understood the rules and procedures.

Councillor Gerrish summed up by thanking Members for their support and their contributions.

The Mayor called a vote on the Motion.

Following a clear majority in favour, the Mayor declared the Motion carried.