New CCTV cameras to catch illegal fly-tipping

In an effort to combat fly-tipping and anti-social behaviour, Watford Borough Council has installed four new CCTV surveillance cameras in areas of the town known to be hot spots.

These cameras that operate 24/7, are located in Francis Road, Queens Road, and Queens Avenue, and will enable enforcement officers to identify any incidents of rubbish being left behind and provide a video report.

Watford Council has taken a strict, no-nonsense approach to the issue of fly-tipping for over a decade, taking legal action against hundreds of offenders.

This has been necessary due to the detrimental environmental impact and costs of over £50,000 each year to clear up illegally dumped waste on public land, money that could be better spent on providing essential services to Watford’s citizens.

Since 2016, fly-tippers identified and caught have bern issued with Fixed Penalty Notices (FPN’s) for £300, totalling over £12,000 in fines. These individuals are given 14 days to pay their fines.

Victoria Passage will granted £5,000 in CCTV surveillance funding from the council’s Neighbourhood Grant. The grant is funded by a Community Infrastructure Levy (CIL) that developers pay when they build new housing in the borough. The CCTV cameras will be used mainly to tackle anti-social behaviour and crime, but they could also help to identify any fly-tipping incidents in the area.

Elected Mayor of Watford, Peter Taylor, said: “Fly-tipping on Watford’s streets is not only unsightly and very costly to the council, it is illegal. People who break the law and fly tip can face significant fines or even prison if they are caught. I regularly hear from residents and businesses who are frustrated when they see their local area used to get rid of other people’s rubbish.

“CCTV cameras can provide a real deterrent to would-be fly tippers but if people choose to ignore the warning, the evidence they provide will help us build a case against them. It is really important that we do everything we can to tackle fly tipping to keep our streets and parks clean and tidy.”

Staffed 24 hours a day, 365 days a year, operators are keeping an eye out for people doing something illegal or anti-social on the town’s 53 cameras. For more information, please visit www.watford.gov.uk/CCTV.

However, there is The Data Protection and Digital Information Bill [Bill 143 2022-23] which was introduced in the House of Commons on 18 July 2022. The Bill was scheduled to have its second reading on 5 September 2022. The outcomes could affect the data collected on CCTV in reference to GDPR.