WHEN Colne Town Councillors, Cllr Ash Sutcliffe and Cllr Sarah Cockburn-Price, litter-picked the periphery of Sainsbury’s Colne Store as part of a Pick Up For Pendle session last year, they began a fruitful partnership with Sainsbury’s management.
Cllr Sutcliffe explained: “The first result was a dramatic improvement in the condition of the shrubbery around Sainsbury’s, thanks to store manager, Mike O’Hara, but then he told us that his Recycling Centre was beset with fly-tipping and was causing real problems.”
Cllr Cockburn-Price involved the Environmental Crimes Unit at Pendle Borough Council and they suggested Sainsbury’s focus its CCTV cameras on the recycling banks. Pendle Officers agreed to get involved if the facility continued to be abused.
“Sainsbury’s is the only Recycling Centre left in Colne and is well used, so it was absolutely worth fighting for”, said Cllr Cockburn-Price. “Mike’s team were devoting hours and hours to cleaning their Recycling Centre each day – it just wasn’t fair.”
The CCTV cameras and a notice advising of the monitoring had the desired effect, but then two fly-tippers struck in quick succession. Pendle Borough Council officers discovered evidence in the second fly-tip and the perpetrator admitted the crime and will now be issued with a Fixed Penalty Notice for the offence of fly-tipping.
The vehicle involved in the first fly-tipping incident has been located and Pendle’s team are hopeful that this investigation too will result in a successful prosecution.
Mike O’Hara commented: “We have showed our faith in the vast majority of our customers who do not abuse our Recycling Centre and we have expanded the facility, adding three extra cardboard banks. Thanks to the Councillors and Pendle Borough Council, we are able to provide the service that everyone wants for Colne.”
Colne Town Council operates a programme of reporting improvements to the town combined with litter-picking during the summer months. The initiative is called Treasure Our Town and members of the public are welcome to join Councillors prior to their Full Council Meetings from 5.30 p.m. The next Treasure Our Town will cover Craddock Road with a meeting point on the corner of Keighley Road and Craddock Road on 19th June.
