In my conversations & correspondence with fellow local residents, many issues are raised. Big and small. Local and national. One such issue which comes up is the matter of fly-tipping.
Mattresses, sofas, washing machines. None of these things belong in peoples’ front gardens and yet some people selfishly choose to leave them there; blighting local communities – sometimes for years – and ruining the neighbourhoods they call home.
Currently, while councils can take action if the fly-tipping happens outside council properties or on council-owned land, it’s much harder for them to take action when it occurs on private property.
I have worked closely with Keep Britain Tidy throughout my time as North Swindon’s MP to target everything from dropping litter to industrial-scale fly-tipping in public areas and on private land. No one wants to live in a neighbourhood where this happens, and we need to ensure councils & the police have the power to act for all of our sakes.
We’ve seen tougher action on littering, with a National Litter Strategy & new fines of up to £150 for those who thoughtlessly discard rubbish on our streets, but we need to go further and tackle the scourge of fly-tipping.
That’s why this week I used a debate in Parliament to call for tougher laws on fly-tipping, and new powers to allow residents & local authorities to intervene when people fly-tip on their own land.
While the debate was designed to highlight the wider issue of fly-tipping in open spaces, I wanted to put on the record the concerns of North Swindon residents who are rightly fed-up with living next to some neighbours who think it’s right to abandon household items in their front gardens.
I think we should not only look at giving councils greater powers to intervene, but consider levying significant fines on residents who pollute their communities in this way.
Those who fly-tip make a choice. They choose to do this and we must be clear: it is completely unacceptable & it has to stop.
On a more positive note, this week it was announced that employment is now at an all-time record high. Over 74% of the working-age population are in work, and on average 1,000 more people have entered the world of work every day since 2010.
I am pleased to say that Swindon has led the way, going above & beyond. Our employment rate is closer to 80%, well above the national average, and 10,800 more people are work here today than just over seven years ago.
Among the figures was the heartening news that youth unemployment is down 44% since 2010. I have been fortunate enough to see on my visits how companies of all sizes are taking on young apprentices, building their knowledge, and offering them full time employment. This is benefitting local companies, local residents and the local economy.
In addition to rising employment, the independent data showed wages are now rising above inflation.
Behind each of these statistics are real people; Swindon residents benefitting from the steps taken to rebuild our economy. Families who are enjoying the security that comes with a regular income. Households where people are in work for the first time in years.
There is still work to do though, but these latest independent statistics show we are on the right track; ensuring work pays and that people have the opportunities to build a worthwhile career.
