Frequently Asked Questions
| Community Wardens FAQ's |
Dog Fouling FAQ's |
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Community Wardens FAQ's
What do the Community Wardens
do?
The Community Wardens investigate a variety of social and
environmental nuisance behaviour. It is their role to help improve
the quality of life for the people of Crewe and Nantwich. They
liaise between residents and service providers, educate on laws and
regulations that affect every day life and, where appropriate, use
their enforcement powers.
There are currently five Community
Wardens and one Dog Warden, they are able to issue Fixed Penalty
Notices to people who are caught committing offences such as
littering, allowing a dog to foul and fly-tipping, but a large part
of their job is educating the public to raise awareness about how
this behaviour can be detrimental to the community.
The Dog Warden also collects stray
dogs, helps find lost dogs and helps with dog registrations,
tagging and micro chipping.
When do the Wardens
operate?
The Wardens cannot keep to fixed times
because of their range of duties but they normally operate on a six
day rota Monday to Saturday between the hours of 7 am and 10
pm.
How do the Community Wardens Educate People about
acceptable behaviour?
The Wardens attend Community
Meetings to discuss anti-social and environmental nuisance. They
also attend many social groups to promote all aspects of good
citizenship.
Each year the Wardens visit schools
throughout the Borough to give talks on littering and dog
fouling.
What is the Junior Wardens
Scheme?
The Junior Warden Scheme was set up to help
the children of the Borough gain a sense of pride in their
community. This is done by teaching them to be good citizens by
engaging them in recycling projects, litter picks and other
activities that will give them a sense of ownership of their
area.
The Junior Wardens are also given
the chance to express what they want to see happen in their ward,
like reducing litter and dog fouling. The aim of the scheme is to
get the Junior Wardens to involve other young people in their ward
by passing the message on. Having young people take an interest
will also encourage older residents to become more active members
of the community.
Which laws and regulations do the Community
Wardens deal with?
The Wardens main work is governed by the Environmental Protection
Act 1990 and the Clean Neighbourhoods and Environment Act 2005.
These Acts allow the Community Wardens to give out Fixed Penalty
Notices (FPN's) to people caught committing the offences stated in
the acts.
The amount of the FPN's varies
depending on the offence: littering carries a fine of £75; dog
fouling carries a fine of £50. If you do not pay within two weeks
of being issued the FPN then you can be taken to court and will be
liable for a £2,500 fine; Fly-tipping carries a Fixed Penalty of
£2,500 for the person whose waste has been dumped, it is up to you
to ensure that the person removing your waste is from a reputable
company, it is this lack of Duty of Care for disposing of your own
waste that the FPN is issued.
What Powers do the Community Wardens
Have?
The Clean Neighbourhoods and Environment Act
2005 gives local authorities the power to prosecute for a range of
environmental offences. The Wardens have the power to issue Fixed
Penalty Notices to people in the Borough who commit one of these
offences and, if this is not paid, prosecute the offender.
Environmental offences include:
- Fly-posting and graffiti (putting up an advertising poster in
unauthorised places, or unauthorised writing or drawing in public
places);
- Failure to produce waste documents (making sure you have a
transfer note whenever waste is transferred from one property to
another);
- Failure to produce authority to transport waste (requiring
registration of vehicles carrying waste);
- Failure to comply with a litter clearing notice (where owners
of properties in a particular area are instructed to clear an area
of litter and refuse within a particular time period);
- Abandoned vehicles (vehicles that have been left in public
places and not claimed within a fixed period);
- Depositing litter (dropping rubbish in open places including
smoking related materials and chewing gum);
- Failure to comply with a street litter control notice (where
owners of properties in a particular area are obliged to keep it
free of litter and refuse);
- Failure to comply with a dog control order (including offences
about fouling of land, removal of dog faeces, keeping a dog on a
lead, exclusion of dogs from certain land, and the number of dogs
being taken onto land);
- Unauthorised distribution of free printed matter (handing
out flyers or other publications in a public place without consent
except charity, political or religious material);
- Failure to comply with waste receptacles notice (where
individuals or businesses do not use the correct materials, or
waste is left out too far in advance of collection).
What if the Community Wardens cannot
deal with my problem?
Problems that cannot be dealt
with directly by the Wardens are referred to the Tasking and
Coordination Group which forms part of the Safer Communities
Partnership.
This is a joint agency partnership
whose members include Crewe and Nantwich Borough Council, the
Cheshire Police, the Cheshire Fire Authority, and several Housing
Associations.
Top
Dog Fouling FAQ's
As a dog owner how can I avoid paying a
penalty if I'm out with my dog?
The simplest solution
is to train your dog's to go at home before you take them for a
walk. However, you should always be prepared to clean up after your
dog and should always carry some means of picking up their waste.
Always carry at least two poop scoop bags for each dog every time
you take them for a walk.
What if there is are no signs informing
me to pick up my dog's waste?
A lack of signs is no
defence. If you are caught allowing your dog to foul and not
removing the waste you will receive a Fixed Penalty Notice.
What can I use to pick up the
waste?
Waste can be picked up using an ordinary
plastic carrier bag since they are inexpensive and easy to carry.
There are also many "poop scoop" devices that can be obtained from
pet stores, vets and other pet suppliers.
What if there are no bins
nearby?
Dog waste suitably wrapped in a plastic bag
or similar carrier can be disposed of in any litterbin or dog waste
bin. If there are none available you should be prepared to carry
the waste home where it can be disposed of with your normal
household waste. Lack of bins is no defence should you be caught
leaving dog waste behind. This also applies to littering offences;
all litter should be taken home even if there is no litter bin
nearby.
Would I be responsible if I'm walking
somebody else's dog that fouls?
Yes. The responsibility to clean up any waste is on 'the person in
charge of the dog'; who may not necessarily be the dog's owner. If
you are caught allowing a dog to foul and not removing the waste
you are liable for the offence regardless of who actually owns the
dog.
What can I do if I know of somebody who
doesn't clean up after his or her dog?
If you wish to
report the matter it would help to take some details of the
offender as well as the dog. Also note the date, time and place the
incident occurred. This information should be passed to the
Community Wardens at the earliest opportunity who will decide
whether the matter can be taken further. The more accurate and
specific the information you provide the greater the chance that
this will result in a dog fouler being penalised.