News / Politics
More money to be spent on tackling street litter and flytipping
Bristol City Council are set to spend more money on tackling street litter and flytipping.
Council leader Tony Dyer said that the services will be prioritised following feedback from the public and previous budget cuts under Labour.
The Greens point to Bristol Waste’s 2023/24 business plan which included “service changes in street cleansing services to deliver a further £700k” in efficiencies; which resulted in one less fly tip crew, one less graffiti removal crew, the removal of the rapid response service, and a reduction in cleansing in the north and south of the city by half.
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But under Bristol’s previous Labour-led administration, the 2024/25 budget also increased Bristol Waste’s funding by £3.9m annually; an annual increase of £7.5m since 2021.
Among Labour’s newly revealed budget amendments are increasing the fine for littering and installing more flytipping enforcement cameras, with fines reinvested into cleaning up Bristol’s streets.
Labour have previously said that “despite years of Tory austerity, the former Labour administration increased funding in Bristol’s waste management services, totalling £46.6m by this year’s budget, an increase of £7.5m since 2021”.
Dyer said: “Following new information from the quality-of-life survey and strong feedback from the initial responses from the waste consultation, we are hearing loud and clear that one of the most pressing priorities for Bristol residents is to keep our streets clean.
“The quality-of-life survey shows high dissatisfaction about street cleanliness, and that deprived areas of the city have been disproportionately affected.
“A small amount of extra government funding has been identified following the final settlement and this has been placed in a contingency for emerging pressures.
“I plan to prioritise this funding to respond to concerns raised about street litter and flytipping.”
Council leader Tony Dyer says that setting a balanced budget “is not only a legal duty but one of the most significant obligations we face” – photo: Rob Browne
Dyer added: “It’s no surprise that this is a problem. Labour took £700,000 out of tackling street cleansing and fly tipping in 2023.
“This money will go some way to making up for this loss, and I hope will include putting back in one of the two fly-tipping rounds that Labour removed and increasing street cleansing in certain areas.
“But while I can make this a priority for the Greens, a task and finish group made up of councillors from all parties will prioritise how this money is best spent.”
Main photo: Milan Perera
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