Chris Cooke, chair of Local Action Team

Traders in St James Street, at the heart of the "Gay Village' are being urged to ensure they have proper waste agreements in place to avoid getting on the spot fines.

Enforcement officers from Brighton & Hove City will be visiting premises in the area on October 26 to ensure that businesses are aware of their responsibilities and of the laws surrounding the disposal of trade waste.

During the visits businesses will be asked to produce their duty of care waste transfer note which gives details of their trade waste agreement. Any businesses without the documents will be given 14 days in which to comply.

The move follows complaints from residents that traders have been using the communal bins to avoid paying a contractor to take away their rubbish. This has resulted in overflowing bins and an increase in litter.

The clamp down has been planned as part of an Environmental Action Day when council officers will be working with residents and members of the St James Street Local Action team to clean up the area.

During the day, council contractors will also be carrying out a deep clean up of the area including removing graffiti and flyposting, and jet washing of pavements.

Chair of the Local Action Team, Chris Cooke explained:
“The idea is to get the whole community involved in a big team effort to make the area a better place in which to live, visit and work. We’re all really excited about it!”

Councillor Geoffrey Theobald, Cabinet Member for Environment said:
“We are very pleased to be working with the local action group to give St James Street a facelift and create a more pleasant environment for all. However, it is vital that traders play their part in keeping the area clean by ensuring that their waste is properly contained and collected.

“The Environmental Protection Act requires all businesses to have their waste collected and disposed of by a licensed trade waste contractor.  Failure to do so could land them with a £300 on the spot fine. On the spot fines will not be handed out on the inspection day, but traders will be given 14 days in which to organise their waste disposal before being visited again."

Traders also need to be aware that putting their waste in one of the residents communal bins is a criminal offence and could land them with fines of up to £20,000.