Newport City Council plans trolley dumping fines

Local TV

Supermarkets could soon be charged £100 per trolley if they’re found left dumped in public spaces across the city. The council hopes that it will encourage supermarkets to increase policing of their trolleys and prevent environmental damage and anti-social behaviour.

Transcript

00:00They can be a familiar sight in parks, streets and even rivers, abandoned shopping trolleys

00:06left far from where they belong, but now Newport City Council is taking action with plans to

00:11charge supermarkets £100 for every trolley found dumped on public land.

00:16The council says these trolleys aren't just an eyesore and they can encourage antisocial

00:21behaviour, damage the environment and even block drains and waterways, increasing the

00:26risk of flooding.

00:28Under the proposed new policy, the council would collect and store any abandoned trolleys

00:32for up to six weeks.

00:34Retailers would be contacted and asked to collect them.

00:37If they don't, the council would then be able to dispose of or recycle them and issue a £100

00:42charge to the store responsible.

00:46While many supermarkets already use retrieval companies, the council argues that current

00:50systems aren't working fast enough and some trolleys are left for weeks or even months

00:55before being recovered.

00:58The new scheme would apply only to trolleys left on public land, not rivers where Natural

01:03Resources Wales is responsible, or private property where landowners could still need to request

01:08help.

01:09But the council says it's prepared to coordinate across agencies where possible.

01:14The plans form part of a wider effort to improve public spaces and encourage pride in the local

01:19environment.

01:20Officials hope that by holding retailers accountable, the streets of Newport will become cleaner,

01:25safer and better cared for.

01:29The policy is still at the proposal stage at the moment, with public consultation expected

01:33soon, so people around the city can give their thoughts.

01:37The £1 coin left in your trolley could up to an awful lot more in the near future.

01:40Jane Peach Watkins reporting for Local TV.

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