Thanet council says a criminal investigation is now taking place over the litter strewn across Margate main sands at the weekend.
The authority, which previously confirmed CCTV was being reviewed with the aim of taking enforcement action, says it is in contact with all parties, including the different coach companies who came to Margate that day.
In a post the social media the council has responded to many comments left by concerned residents on its facebook page.
The post answers six points:
Can bins be placed on the beach?
Historically bins were placed on the beaches but there has been a shift to collections from the promenade or at street level. This allows us to provide much larger bins as previously people had complained that the beachside ones had a limited capacity and were a magnet for seagulls. Furthermore, the new arrangement has helped reduce litter being left next to the beachside bins which then ended up spread across the sand or in the sea.
Why are people not fined for leaving mess on the beach?
Legally we have to observe someone ‘in the act’ of dropping and then leaving litter on the beach. When this does happen, we issue a £100 penalty. It is particularly hard to enforce when there are large groups.
What action do you take to keep beaches clean?
- We have Bay Inspectors at our main beaches who regularly use their tannoy to remind the public of their responsibilities.
- Re. the litter from Saturday – this is now a criminal investigation. We are reviewing CCTV footage to identify those responsible and are in contact with all parties, including the different coach companies who came to Margate that day.
- When we are notified of a large group (50 people or more) coming to the beach, there is a formal events process that has to be followed to ensure there is adequate provision of facilities (including paying for extra bins) and impact on the surrounding areas is considered. However, not all large groups tell us they will be coming.
- We work with local schools to raise awareness about the importance of looking after our local environment. We have a dedicated recycling booklet that schools and groups can request.
- We also have a team from the council, alongside the Environment Agency and Southern Water, at the Water Gala today (Wednesday 31 August) educating people about the importance of keeping our beaches clean.
The responses follow an outcry over the rubbish left on the sands on Saturday (Juy 27) following a visit from several coach trip groups, including a 500 person event, at the Nayland Rock end of the sands.
The mountains of rubbish, including bottles, disposable plates and cups,discarded wrappings,buckets and even broken tents, comes just two days after council workers had to clear a similar scene of litter. There was also evidence of black bin bags.
During the clean up council workers removed six gazebos from Margate Main Sands, filled one seven-and-a-half tonne vehicle full of litter and the beach cleaners collected about 75 bags of rubbish. All the bins along the promenade filled a seven-and-a-half tonne waste vehicle twice over and a four-and-a-half tonne mechanical sweeper used along the seafront first thing was also filled up. The tractor used to rake the sand collected a further tonne of rubbish.
It followed a similar tide of rubbish left only two days before.
maybe they want to know why the council do not provide toilets to the general public and thought well if they do not care a toss about toilets we will leave you with our response.
To close public toilets and not provide them is criminal too! where else they going to go dream on TDC
Boring.
we get you hate the council!
With the following comment from TDC placed in this article it shows that TDC provide insufficient containers for the numbers of people who flock to our beaches.
The Council state that the promenade bins were full and filled a 7.5 tonne vehicle twice over. Yet again it shows insufficient bins were provided at each entrance/exit to the beach.
–
During the clean up council workers removed six gazebos from Margate Main Sands, filled one seven-and-a-half tonne vehicle full of litter and the beach cleaners collected about 75 bags of rubbish. All the bins along the promenade filled a seven-and-a-half tonne waste vehicle twice over and a four-and-a-half tonne mechanical sweeper used along the seafront first thing was also filled up. The tractor used to rake the sand collected a further tonne of rubbish.
If groups or individuals can carry all this stuff onto the beach in the first place why can’t they take it home with them and dispose of it in their own bins? Particularly if the council ones are full. Even leaving bags etc next to bins is tantamount to fly tipping. Why should we be responsible when they don’t even contribute to our economy here when they bring their own food, drinks, BARBQs etc ????
My thoughts entirely.
No ‘R’ those people brought that rubbish with them so they should take it home. Looking at the pictures its mostly paper plates and cups which the people brought with them.
Yes TDC could put more bins and extra bin lorries on but the main problem is people, if the bin is full up take it home. Why should my council tax be used to clear up after these people. Find them and charge them. Or thanet just puts with these type of day trippers.
All the photos on social media along the beach front show all those big metal bins being empty. Lazy sods couldn’t walk a few metres to dispose of their rubbish like any decent human would.
Looking at it in the cold light of day so to speak it is not just one factor which made it so bad (1) to many people didn’t put their rubbish in a bag or bin. (2) not enough bins. (3) as bins already full bags of rubbish from responsible collected beach visitors ripped open by gulls. (4) bins should have been emptied just before cleaning staff’s shifts ended as people have said bins were full before 3pm that is 6 hours before people usually start to leave. If they filled a 7 1/2 tonnes cart twice over plus tonnes more rubbish then its reasonable to say more bins and cleaning staff were needed or the bins emptied more frequently. No I’m not saying it’s the council at fault for everything on Saturday but when they know the weather is going to be good and they have 500 visitors in one group alone and they know of a couple more small groups plus possibly a good weekend of visitors due to weather a better contingency plan to be put into operation at a moments notice
(1) agreed
(2) all photos on social media appear to show empty bins, in this instance i don’t think their quantity was the issue
(3) bins weren’t full, where is evidence any bags were ‘ripped open’ by gulls?
(4) bins were emptied after 5pm, so what shifts do you think are worked by cleaning staff? Perhaps this can be clarified?
According to TDC cleaning staff finish at 2,30 pm Saturday and Sunday as per their schedule check the summer working arrangements. And in previous photos you can see the remnants of black rubbish sacks around the the wall and picket fencing on beach. If you read what have said it is not just one thing to blame for the rubbish. We all know the visitors brought it to the beach not everyone acted responsibly and kept the area they were clean lots put their rubbish in black bags some cleared up and put bags in the bins and some left bags by beach wall. It’s a case for the council through cctv to find out what was main cause and as said have a contingency plan ready to put into action for any similar occasion when visitors and weather are really like it was this last week.
How much money was spent by the visitors? It looks like they supplied their own food and drink, so all they gave the local commumity was expenses. What’s the reasoning of tourist attractions and facilities that either don’t exist or are not capable.
A question we now ask, what value to the huge majority of residents does tourism bring? Is it just a cost to council taxpayers, and an income and some seasonal jobs for a minority?
Kent County Council opening times are 9am until 5pm Mondays all the way up to Fridays but they are Closed on weekends and Bank Holidays as well there telephone number 01843577000 from MR John Hand
Hmmm . . . this article is obviously taken from a Press Release by TDC so perhaps I cab clarify a few of the “inaccuracies”
1. ). I do not believe that the rubbish dumped on the beach on Saturday is the subject of a “criminal” investigation as claimed. Are the Police involved ? The responsibility for littering is a Council matter for civil enforcement. The matter of controlling events on the beach is again a Council matter in accordance with its Events Policy. One group was authorised on the Nayland Rock end of the beach. All the rubbish was dumped on the main part of the beach by at least four other large groups who were not authorised and yet neither TDC nor the Bay Inspector did anything to stop them.
2. ). The Bay Inspector at Margate does NOT make regular announcements on the tannoy to “remind the public of their (sic) responsibilities.” The only regular announcements that are made by the Bay Inspector are from 5pm onwards and on behalf of the beach concessionaire to remind people to return deckchairs, windbreak, etc. by 5.30pm.
I would be most interested to learn how many Enforcement Officers were patrolling the beach on Saturday and how many £100 penalty fines were issued. I suspect I already know the answers – none and none.
It is hardly fair on the one authorised group who paid costs and fees to TDC for consent when a number of other groups were allowed to get away scot-free – more especially when it is the free groups that left all the mess. Perhaps the authorised group should demand its money back !
On a final note (and I apologise for repeating myself) the exact same thing happened last year. The culprits were identified to TDC last year. As usual, TDC chose to do nothing about it.
TDC is complicit in these groups wreaking havoc every year. Former ward councillor Iris Johnston has pursued the same issues each year for the past decade but clearly nothing has changed. The matter is merely exacerbated by the fact that the beach cleaners failed to remove the 75 sacks of rubbish from the beach (which accumulated between 3pm and 6pm) and then the promenade bins not being emptied early evening.
Same old . . . same old . . .
Excellent response, TDC would be better off ( as would the council tax payer) drawing a line under this now. No one is going to be fined. Pointless putting enforcement officers on the beach as it’d only create tension , police are hardly likely to escort the enforcement officers around and even if they did who pays for them?
We should remember that on the same weekend last year a young child drowned, so perhaps piles of rubbish are a small price to pay.
Those that came and left the mess are simply irresponsible,lazy and ignorant, that won’t change.
Finally in the second picture it looks dreadful but if you could remove all the seagulls on the beach , it’d be nowhere near as bad.
The extremely loud music that these groups play on the beach is a health and safety breach as important announcements cannot be heard by the public, including missing children and lifeguard radio broadcasts. The council enforcement officers need to patrol the beaches and stop this also.
John, your clarifications need clarifying…..
Littering is a criminal offence under the Environmental Protection Act. It is normally dealt with by fixed penalty notices for the offence of leaving litter.
Civil enforcement officers are employed to enforce parking, a civil offence. Dealt with by penalty charge notices.
You advise ‘The matter is merely exacerbated by the fact that the beach cleaners failed to remove the 75 sacks of rubbish from the beach (which accumulated between 3pm and 6pm)’
What evidence is there of these mythical 75 sacks, as this is not mentioned in article?
If loads of people are visiting by coach and being offloaded at the beach with all their gazebos etc why can we not enforce a coach tax so groups of 40 or more have to pay in advance to come and avail themselves of all our free facilities before leaving all their sh*t behind when they leave?
At last some proper action from TDC!
For too long coaches full of people have been dropping off people who care nothing for the environment and Margate’so beach. When these people arrive, do they find a littered beach, no they do not. I think coach companies should perhaps give a black bin bag, covered by the fare paid, to every adult leaving the coach with perhaps a remark made by the driver on his mic to fill the bags with their litter and either take it home with them for disposal or put it the provided bins. It seems there’s a need for the old litter campaign of some years ago,to be brought back,and special beach litter personnel to be seen, ready to give on the spot fines.
Problem is the law for ‘on the spot’ fines is governed by the environmental protection act, which states it is the leaving of litter that enables the issuing of an instant notice. If the majority of people leave at approx same time, how do you 100% positively identify culprits?
We need to educate better this generation who want everyone to clear up their cr*# for them, and blame someone else for their own lazy & slovenly behaviours.
At last some proper action from TDC!
For too long coaches have been dropping off people who seem to care nothing for the environment and Margate’s beach. When these people arrive, do they find a littered beach, no they do not. I think coach companies should perhaps give a black bin bag, the cost covered by the fare paid, to every adult leaving the coach with perhaps a remark made by the driver on his mic to fill the bags with their litter and either take it home with them for disposal or put it the provided bins. It seems there’s a need for the old litter campaign of some years ago to be brought back,and special beach litter personnel to be seen, ready to give on the spot fines.
Why don’t TDC empty the bins twice a day.If they are full up by 3pm then have them emptied again,in other European countries the emptying of bins is constant throughout the day.
Do Herne Bay beaches have the same issue,and if not why not?
Charge for using the beach £1 per adult 50p per child and pensioner. Loud music needs power to amplify therefore prevent the use of external power sources even Ever Ready, Duracell et al would struggle. Presumably the playing of music in a public place requires an appropriate licence making management and inspection including sound levels easy to manage by TED and it’s officers
Tdc residents and businesses pay many millions of council tax and business rates and have a right to expect beach cleaning services to be efficient and provided when required.
All we get in return for huge sums of money is a continual growth in TDC staff hierarchy fighting to provide luxury office facilities for unnecessary office staff.
Cut senior departmental heads on bloated salaries and pensions and bring in workers.
The beach litter problem is only the tip of the problem caused by the Corbynistas of council management who control our councillors.
“The Corbynistas of council management”? Who and what are they?
You should take your rubbish and bin it no excuses.if the bins are full.take it home with you no excuses
I lived in Margate 20years ago and it was a great place thanet council killed the place
Went to medway the other night darnley rd area, which isn’t one of your posh areas. To my nice surprise it was very clean, in fact the whole of the strood area was clean. No weeds growing in the road and path and NO LITTER, that’s right no litter !.So why is thanet a dump, could be thanet people dont give a toss or its TDC that dont care. When you go to other towns and cities have a good look you will soon realise thanet is a mess…….
this is disgusting. as a child I was taught to put our waste in the bin and if there was no bin to keep hold of it until we found one….. I teach my children the same and if they drop litter i make them pick it up and take 50p from their pocket money. it makes you wonder what their houses must look like, or do they just use public spaces as rubbish dumps.