Ramsgate is one of the most picturesque seaside towns in Kent but when you walk along some of the streets in Central Ramsgate there are occasions when you might be forgiven for thinking that the town was bidding for the title of “Litter Capital of Kent” and making a very convincing case.
Litter is a form of vandalism, which together with graffiti and poor maintenance of the public realm, are the three things that offend most peoples’ sense of civic pride and prevent people enjoying what would otherwise be an attractive historic town with much to offer residents and visitors alike.
As well as being unsightly, litter is a serious social, economic and environmental issue. It causes harm to communities and wildlife, and at a time when local authority budgets are coming under huge pressure it costs over £1billion each year to clear up. Yet it is entirely preventable.
Litter blights our streets, parks and beaches and costs us millions of pounds to clear up every year but how do we persuade people to eliminate litter now and for future generations. This is about more than simply getting volunteers to pick up litter that people have thrown down. We need to change behaviours permanently by highlighting the problem constantly and coming up with creative solutions.
Today’s young people are the key to eliminating litter and ending waste both now and for future generations and that is why Keep Britain Tidy runs the world’s biggest schools’ environmental education programme
Eco-Schools. More than 2.3 million children and young people are currently actively engaged in the Eco Schools Programme. The aim is that every child has the opportunity to learn about the environment and the role they can play in improving it. If we are to make the huge collective strides to change behaviour and create a cleaner town for everyone, then investing in our future means inspiring the next generation today.
Fixed Penalty Notices (FPNs)
Fixed Penalty Notices are an essential part of an environmental education strategy. Research by Keep Britain Tidy has shown that although FPN’s themselves are not a quick fix, they are powerful tools when they are underpinned by the education and engagement stages mentioned earlier.
It would seem that Central Government agrees, as they move to encourage local authorities to make full use of FPNs to tackle environmental offences and develop new legislation that includes new powers for authorities to help maximise their use.
The Ramsgate Litter Forum
The Ramsgate Litter Forum, of which the Ramsgate Society is an active member, was set up in March 2018 to coordinate the efforts of local residents who are keen to help tackle this perennial problem. The Forum consists of 20+ local voluntary groups, from the Ramsgate Society to neighbourhood groups, who meet bi-monthly with Thanet District Council and Ramsgate Town Council to try and tackle litter problems. The Forum supports the Ramsgate ROAD (Ramsgate Residents One a Day) Facebook group, for individual litter pickers who organise regular litter picks throughout the year. It plays an important part in raising residents awareness about the negative effects of litter on our quality of life. For information about the work of the Ramsgate Litter Forum and how to get involved please email
info@ramsgatetownteam.org.uk.
In conclusion
Litter is a blight on our community and impacts adversely on our quality of life. Education is the most powerful way of changing this type of anti-social behaviour and is most effective when started in school at an early age. When education is reinforced with Fixed Penalty Notices for those who habitually and irresponsibly drop litter the results can be transformational.
Look out for the Next Ramsgate Society Litter Pick on Sunday April 11, 2021.