Thank you for your E-Petition, please see below a copy of the response provided by the Executive Director for Environment, Housing, and Growth.

We recognise the importance of keeping streets safe, accessible and clean, and we share the objective of preventing obstruction and maintaining neighbourhood quality.  There are a number of community and environmental issues like litter and flytipping and anti-social behaviour that in a similar way to bins obstructing the highway affect the  quality  of  life  of  our  residents.  Although  we  have  invested  significantly  in enforcement recently, we still have limited resources to deal with every environmental concern raised and must prioritise accordingly. 

Your  request  to  actively  enforce  our  existing  policy;  issue  reminders  and  warnings where  appropriate;  take  proportionate  action  when  persistent  noncompliance  is observed and communicate clearly with residents is in line with our overall approach to enforcement. 

We have a range of graduated responses available which include advice, reminders, informal warnings and, where necessary, formal enforcement. This approach allows officers  to  target  action  where  there  is  clear  harm,  whilst  avoiding  unnecessary intervention where there is not.  

We  will  focus  on  dealing  with  ongoing  or  repeated  problems  where  bins  cause  a genuine obstruction or nuisance, take a fair and proportionate approach based on the evidence  available,  clearly  explain  what  is  expected  of  residents,  and  make  sure decisions  strike  the  right  balance  between  accessibility,  public  safety  and environmental quality, while remaining practical and reasonable. 

This targeted approach will ensure that enforcement resources are focused and add value, rather than applying rigid rules that do not reflect the diverse nature of Walsall’s streets and communities. 

If you have specific streets or sites of concern, we would be happy to discuss them. Please contact the Head of Community Safety and Enforcement at the following email address  David.Elrington@Walsall.gov.uk  and  he  will  ensure  your  concerns  are recorded and that you are provided with a response and the action taken.