'Grown-ups have to take more responsibility to stop littering in Luton'

Grown-ups have to take more responsibility to avoid litter being dumped on Luton's streets, a council meeting heard.

Luton Borough Council has committed to an anti-litter agenda and is a member of the 'Keep Britain Tidy' campaign, according to a report to its executive committee.

Labour Lewsey councillor Aslam Khan told the executive: "This is an issue when we have a lot of takeaways across the town.

"When they get a licence quite often they're asked to put bins outside," he said. "They do that.

"Unfortunately the public sit in their cars or drive out and end up throwing the remains and those boxes on the street.

"I would be interested to see how we're going to be educating the public to be responsible.

"Recruiting more enforcement officers I can understand, but there won't be enough to go round the town.

"So something radical has to be done where people take responsibility and don't throw litter on the streets."

Labour Dallow councillor Abbas Hussain, who's the executive member for neighbourhood services and community safety, replied: "There definitely needs to be communication and education.

"Strategy and sustainability service manager Shaun Askins is doing something around education with fellow members, and we can align this with that package.

"They're going out to schools and different faith organisations to educate young children.

"Some institutions, organisations and businesses have to take this responsibility even within their own premises over packaging."

Labour Challney councillor Tom Shaw said: "A lot of the education is taking place now. It's working.

"We've got volunteer members going into religious establishments and schools to talk about recycling and litter picking.

"We can get to the kids. It's the grown-ups which cause the problems in Luton.

"I believe we can put planning conditions on to big takeaways and any others, and see if we get challenged.

"How can Dunstable have a planning condition around a McDonald's takeaway?" asked councillor Shaw, executive member for housing, waste and climate change.

"They have a litter picker there all the time. We don't have the same condition for ours in Luton. That's down to us not putting on the conditions.

"If there's planning enforcement for them to employ people or put bins out, and licensing to have a bin as part of that licence, other councils can manage it, why can't we?"

Labour Limbury councillor Rob Roche said: "It's a much bigger picture relating to anti-social behaviour.

"The campaigning we wish to do is over speeding because Bedfordshire Police isn't able to enforce it, the jumping of traffic lights, people parking where they like and doing exactly what they went to.

"If they think they can get away with this little stuff, they try to get away with the bigger issues.

"The campaign in education is probably the only way to do it because nobody has the resources to go out and enforce everything."

The executive agreed a new anti-littering strategy.