Across West Northamptonshire, voters will elect 76 councillors in 35 different wards. More than 350 candidates are standing from ten political parties, as well as a number of independents. Find a full list of candidates here.
Chronicle & Echo has reached out the leaders of the parties to ask them about four topics that matter most to our readers.
Over the next few days we will be publishing a series of articles, detailing the responses we have received from some of the political parties competing for your votes on polling day on Thursday May 1.
Next up is the issue of fly-tipping and littering. We asked the leaders what their party intends to do to address the issue if they are elected.
We received responses from the Conservatives, the Green Party, the Heritage Party (which has one candidate standing in Dallington and Spencer), an Independent candidate, Labour, the Liberal Democrats, Reform UK and the Trade Unionist and Socialist Coalition.
Below are the responses from those parties regarding the issue of fly-tipping and littering, in alphabetical order of party name.
Chronicle & Echo also contacted The Social Democratic Party and The Labour and Co-operative Party - who have candidates standing in West Northamptonshire - but we did not receive a response.
If any independent candidates would like to offer their response to this issue, please email [email protected].
The first article about potholes can be found here.Click here for the management of HMOs and here for mass infrastructure.
1. Leaders of political parties in West Northamptonshire have their say ahead of polling day
Here's what the leaders had to say about flytipping and littering... Photo: Various
2. Conservatives
Leader of the West Northamptonshire Conservatives, Cllr Adam Brown, said: "What is needed is a long-term solution, not just removing fly tips and hoping they won’t return. I have convened a task force of officers, waste and environmental crime specialists. We are working on rolling out a “Clear, Hold, Build” approach which is a Home Office framework designed to help different organisations (including police and the council) and communities come together to tackle this persistent anti-social behaviour. This has been successfully trialled in a Daventry ward that was suffering from similar problems including graffiti/fly-tipping/litter. The approach involves targeting hotspots, doing an environmental audit and clean up - while undertaking an intensive engagement process with local residents, informing them about why fly-tipping is an environmental crime, encouraging reporting of fly-tipping information that might lead to successful enforcement, educating residents about where household waste can be taken (generally for free) for recycling, what waste can go into domestic bins - and all done in different languages and through different methods to reach as many residents as possible. We will also engage local councillors across all parties, because they often have the connections with community groups to get further engagement. The challenge is then to hold on to the improvements through community action so that we build improvement and pride in the environment. Meanwhile we will work with local businesses to ensure they are dealing with their commercial waste properly and not adding to local problems." Photo: WNC
3. The Green Party
Emmie Willliamson is Chair of West Northamptonshire Green Party. The party said: "Fly-tipping and littering have a huge impact on the places we live. People want to feel pride when they look around their neighbourhood and the local countryside. It is depressing when others leave our shared environment looking dirty and uncared-for. Behaving like this damages ecosystems and harms wildlife, costs taxpayers money to clear up and can make other antisocial and community-harming behaviour more likely. Fortunately, councils up and down the country are finding innovative ways to increase public action and reduce offending. From Harborough’s award-winning awareness campaign – displaying fly-tipped waste in a public park – to Sutton and Wolverhampton’s use of cutting-edge digital tech, there are plenty of things we could try in West Northants. Steep fines and tough penalties have an important part to play but it’s clear that so far the fear of prosecution alone has not been enough to stop the offenders. Charges at council waste centres need to be kept low and facilities need to be readily accessible – it needs to be easy for people to do the right thing. Green councillors on the council will push for these things as well as for new ideas and a fresh approach." Photo: The Green Party
4. Heritage Party
Kim Fuller, who is standing for the Heritage Party in Dallington and Spencer, said: "Fly-tipping and littering are anti-social behaviour that must be given top priority. We will ensure that there are more than enough staff to deal with any fly-tipping and littering that occur, and deal with the underlying issues that are the root of the problem. We will reverse the cutbacks to council employees that deal with fly-tipping and littering and we will ensure that they are paid a competitive salary with adequate overtime payments. Council taxpayers should not have to complain multiple times before action is taken. The Complaint Forms jointly cover both the local council and the ALMO-Northampton Partnership Homes. They need to be acted upon immediately. There needs to be some common sense from the council as well. There used to be areas where people could just drop items of old furniture and the council would arrive on a weekly basis and collect it. Garden cuttings being dumped in the corner of buildings or under hedges and dog poo bags are scourges that also sends a message to youths that an area is lapsed, leading to drugs and alcohol problems. Such mess needs to be cleared up quickly and such areas given Public Space Protection Orders to avoid the build up of further anti-social behaviour. The Household Waste Recycling Centre is open from 10am to 4pm seven days a week except for Bank Holidays and we will ensure that these hours are not cut." Photo: Kim Fuller