Man fined after waste just left on Hollinwood street

Hollinwood resident Martin McDonagh found himself in court after he left his waste outside and expected others to clean it up.

His rubbish was found near his house on County Street.

In court he pleaded guilty to a Duty of Care offence – this means he admitted failing to put his rubbish in his bin, or take it to the tip, or get a licenced waste person to collect it and take it away for him.

The 31-year-old was fined £80, with £200 costs and a £34 victim surcharge.

Oldham Council insists it remains committed to making our borough cleaner, safer and greener.

For that to happen, the council need residents to work with officers and do their bit to keep their communities clear of dumped waste, litter and fly-tipping.

The council's waste, recycling crews and street cleaners work hard in all weathers to ensure our streets, roads, alleys and open spaces are clean.

Through the Don’t Trash Oldham campaign, the council has invested extra resources into tidying up every ward in the borough and they are currently working in Hollinwood.

Unfortunately, a small minority of people continue to blight the borough and harm their communities by leaving and dumping waste for others to clean up.

Councillor Jean Stretton, Cabinet Member for Neighbourhoods, said: “All your household waste should go in your grey bin – don’t leave it bagged up at the side of the street or in alleyways.

“Putting out extra waste such as black bags is fly tipping.

"It makes an area look untidy, can attract rats and vermin and takes up space that is needed for other residents, such as social activities or an area for children to play in.

“If your grey bin regularly gets full then consider if you can recycle more of your waste to help your community and help the environment. 

"Alternatively, you can take your rubbish to the tip or in certain circumstances you can order an additional bin.

"It is important that everyone cleans up after themselves as we will continue to take action to help improve local areas.”

Since the council started Don’t Trash Oldham, officers have issued 398 fixed penalty notices (FPNs) to people in communities who do not take responsibility for putting their rubbish in the appropriate bins.

So far, the council has also taken 44 people to court and recovered fines and costs in excess of £28,000, and another 121 cases are going through the legal system.

---

Do you have a story for us? Want to tell us about something going on in and around Oldham? Let us know by emailing news@oldham-chronicle.co.uk , calling our Oldham-based newsroom on 0161 633 2121 , tweeting us @oldhamchronicle or messaging us through our Facebook page. All contact will be treated in confidence.