A ‘SHOT in the arm’ is needed to hammer home the message that littering and other anti-social behaviour will not be tolerated as Craven comes out of lockdown.

Councillors fear that the expected relaxation in coronavirus restrictions next month, will result in a major influx of visitors to Craven and the Dales.

Now, a multi agency group, made up of Craven District Council, North Yorkshire County Council, the police and parish councils, is to carry out an environmental awareness campaign, backed up by an outside enforcement agency.

Enforcement officers will be deployed to problem hot spots and will have the power to give out fixed penalties, heard Craven Council’s Policy Committee meeting.

Last year, several areas, including Grassington, Burnsall, Stainforth and Malham saw a significant increase of visitors after restrictions were temporarily relaxed.

About 4,000 people turned up at Threshfield Quarry, during the May Bank Holiday tempted by promises of it being the ‘Ibiza of the North’, leaving rubbish and blocking roads.

And, in August, three large skips provided by the council, were filled with rubbish left in the Grassington area by members of the Wharfedale Wombles group.

Councillor Carl Lis, lead member for the environment, said that people needed to see that the council was serious about dealing with the problem.

A survey of residents had shown that 100 per cent of those who responded put littering as their biggest issue, followed by inconsiderate parking and anti-social behaviour.

“Members will be well aware of the issues of littering throughout our district, and of course dog-dirt,” he said.

“There was a significant increase in the summer of 2020 and we anticipate this will continue as restrictions are lifted. We are already seeing a slight increase, so goodness knows what will happen when the restrictions are completely lifted.”

The council’s three existing ‘Cleaner Neighbourhood’ officers will join forces with national park rangers, PCSOs, and the external company, which is yet to be appointed. The three month pilot scheme will start in mid-April, subject to the lifting of coronavirus restrictions.

“It is a shot in the arm. We need to do something, and this is a way of showing people in Craven that we are serious. We have to show the public that we intend to do something about it,” said Cllr Lis.

Upper Wharfedale councillor Sue Metcalfe said last summer, the situation in the Dales had been ‘quite repellent’.

She said there had been littering and a total disrespect to residents and mixed up in amongst all the people were ‘criminals’.

“I’m not sure what powers these enforcement officers will have, but I can imagine the response they will get from some people who will very impolitely tell them to go away,” she said.

Council leader, Richard Foster, said one of the things they could not do was to ‘put the shutters up and stop people coming’.

And, Cllr Chris Rose said she would not like people to think they were not welcome, but that there were some who visited who appeared not to be aware of the Countryside Code.

Cllr Lis added it was not just visitors, but also residents.

“We need to educate a small minority of people in Craven that certain things they are doing are not acceptable, and that they will be caught and they will be made examples of,” he said.

After the meeting, Cllr Andy Solloway, said he was fully behind the pilot scheme.

“I will be joining a fine group of people soon going out litter picking in Skipton, I know that very similar groups are doing the same all over the county, but when things are opened up more, the problems will get worse.

“I still cannot understand the mentality of people littering and leaving mess in our towns and countryside, I’d take an even more draconian stance, but I think that hopefully these extra resources will have an impact on making people take their litter home, reduce dog fouling and have some respect for our communities they are visiting and the people who work hard keeping them tidy.”