Barbara, Paul, Gill and Gaëtane, our dedicated team of volunteers, have been patrolling the streets of Thornton Heath, working tirelessly with Local Councillors and Neighbourhood Safety Officers (NSOs) for the past nine months.
Their mission is to identify and report fly-tips and littered front gardens to the Council for investigation and prosecution. Every month, a copy of their report is sent to all Local Councillors, HMO and NSO Teams as well as Council Executives and THCAT Leader.
Recently, a resident was fined £140 for dumping their mattress on the pavement outside their house.
Our team also checks houses in multiple occupancy (HMOs) against the Council licensing register, to check that properties are in good order. Most of them are but there are always a few that need reminding of their contractual responsibilities.
Sometimes, a property is suspected of being a HMO but is not listed on the register. In that case, it is reported and the Council follows up the enquiry swiftly.
Thanks to their vigilance, a property in Melfort Road was found to be presenting a fraudulent HMO planning application which resulted in the Council refusing their appeal.
The relentless work of our team has made a noticeable difference. All the streets in the Bensham Manor ward have now been checked with 600 issues being picked up. Work is still ongoing in the Thornton Heath ward and soon the West Thornton ward will be inspected.
Fly-tipping, litter on pavements and overflowing bins in front gardens are all issues that our local residents care about. Education and enforcement are key to solving these problems.
Our waste is our responsibility. Look out for this road sign (possibly) appearing in your area:
