Protecting our environment means looking after our own backyards as well as the global impact of our behaviour.

The Chartered Institution of Wastes Management (CIWM) is therefore delighted to see the launch of the new Clean Neighbourhoods and Environment Bill. It contains a range of simple measures to help clean up and prevent damage to our local environment.

Steve Lee, chief executive officer of CIWM said: ‘There are a lot of positive measures in this Bill. We all need to get behind it, support it and ensure that it goes through the parliamentary process intact. The Bill proposes simple powers and tools to help local authorities and others protect our quality of life. We want to make sure that they will have the resources and skills needed to do the job – our local environment is worth it.
 
‘CIWM also recognises that with a general election due in the late spring there will inevitably be pressures on parliamentary time. We would not like to see the Bill suffer in part or as a whole as a consequence. The environment needs to be part of the political debate. We only have one environment, but 60 million ways of making an individual impact.’

The Bill released by the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA) includes provisions for issues relating to the UK urban and rural environments such as: crime and disorder; litter; graffiti and fly-posting; waste and contaminated land; nuisance and abandoned vehicles; dogs; fixed penalty notices; noise; and the built environment.