Flyers, leaflets and stickers littering the streets could soon become a thing of the past in Brighton & Hove city centre. The council is planning to introduce new enforcement measures to control the distribution of flyers in designated parts of the city.
Dropped leaflets, cards and flyers are a major cause of litter in the city centre, but until now it has been difficult for the council to track down and prosecute those responsible.
However, using new powers under the Clean Neighbourhoods & Environment Act, the council can designate areas where the distribution of free printed material, such as flyers, free newspapers, stickers, leaflets and cards without a licence, is illegal. Those caught breaking the law face fines of £75 rising to £2,500 for persistent offenders.
The proposals, currently being considered, will make it illegal to distribute flyers in the worst affected areas of the city, including the North Laine, The Lanes, North Street, West Street, Western Road, Queens Road and the Seafront, without a licence granted by the council.
The council is currently consulting widely on the proposals and has already received help and positive feed back from both local businesses and the distribution and promotion industry.
Environment Councillor Gill Mitchell said, “The Council recognises that flyering can be an effective form of advertising for many businesses, and we are keen to work with distributors and promoters, but we must tackle this problem head on.
“Flyering creates a real eyesore in our busy city centre. We are confident that these new powers will result in a huge improvement to the city centre, while still allowing responsible traders to advertise their businesses and I would urge residents and businesses to support us and respond positively to this consultation.”
In order for a licence to be granted, an applicant must agree to abide by the conditions of the licence, which will include keeping the area free of litter.
Any licensed distributor who is found to be in breach of the conditions may have their licence revoked.
A full list the areas to be designated will shortly available from the council and there will be a period of 28 days during which appeals can be made.
For further information please contact Cityclean on 01273 292929 or e-mail cityclean@brighton-hove.gov.uk
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3 September 2010