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FOI request (FOI227176)
Kingdom Security
Requested Mon 20 November 2017
Responded Mon 20 November 2017Please could you advise me on your relationship with kingdom security regarding the penalty notices given. from what i have seen and personally been fined for seems necessary.
Do they receive any of the money from the fixed penalties like in neighbouring councils
Response
For many years littering and fouling has been a serious concern for the Council. Since about 2008 our Warden Service has been actively enforcing against these offences, including issuing 200 to 300 Fixed Penalty Notices a year and prosecutions where appropriate. Over the years we have also run several awareness raising campaigns, including in relation to smoking related litter, which is one of the commonest types of littering in Hastings. For example we have handed out thousands of ‘butt boxes’ to encourage smokers to dispose of their waste responsibly, and all of our litter bins can be used for smoking related litter.
Councillors often report these issues to our waste and enforcement services as they are raised by residents, and many residents contact us direct. Earlier this year we ran a social media campaign highlighting the issues and trying to raise public awareness in the hope that this would also result in some behaviour change amongst those committing these offences. We received a lot of positive feedback, including messages urging the Council to take a much more robust approach to enforcement for littering and fouling.
Despite all of this enforcement and awareness raising work, and lots of litter bins, it is clear that there is still too much litter and dogs mess in the borough, and that clearing it up costs the Council and our residents a lot of money. As a result we needed to consider other potential options for addressing the problem, and in March the Council’s Cabinet unanimously approved the proposal to run an enforcement pilot with Kingdom Services Group Ltd.
Please be assured that this scheme isn’t about raising money for the Council. It’s about taking a robust approach to enforcement against littering and dog fouling offences. Our hope is that this results in behaviour change amongst those committing these offences, and thereby results in a cleaner safer town for all of our residents and visitors.
The contract with Kingdom is a 6 month pilot with the option of a 6 month extension and Kingdom receive 85% of all income for the Fixed Penalty Notices that are paid.
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