FOI Request Enforcement Activities

Request 101003218598 

I am writing to you under the Freedom of Information Act 2000 to request the following information from the Council. Please could you provide me with:
1. Does the Council deliver on-the-ground enforcement functions such as issuing fixed penalty notices for anti-social behaviour, littering and flytipping, and if so, how (directly, contracted out, etc.)?
2. Does the Council deal with abandoned and/or untaxed vehicles, if so, how?
3. Does the Council deal with unlawful encampments and traveller incursions, if so, how?
4. If yes to either 1, 2 or 3, does an enforcement strategy exist, and can this be provided?
5. In the last 5 financial years, how much has your authority recovered through Fixed Penalty Notices, fines and other actions as a result of enforcement action for these activities?
6. In the last 5 financial years, how much has been spent on delivering these enforcement activities (for ease, if these form the substantive part of a department or team’s responsibilities, please provide its combined net revenue budget)?
7. Please provide any internal email correspondence and documents (including service reviews and committee reports) which relate to any consideration of reviewing expenditure on the aforementioned enforcement functions within the last 2 years.

Response 08-02-2023

1. Moray Council has two Community Wardens who investigate anti-social behaviour and can issue fixed penalty notices for littering and fly tipping.

2. Moray Council deals with abandoned vehicles in terms of the Refuse Disposal (Amenity) Act 1978. When a vehicle is identified as being abandoned, a notice stating that the authority propose to remove it for destruction is affixed to the vehicle.

3. Yes, the Council has an Unauthorised Encampment Officer to manage unauthorised gypsy encampments in Moray. A protocol for dealing with unauthorised travellers’ encampments in Moray is in place and a copy can be found on the Council’s website using the following link: http://www.moray.gov.uk/moray_standard/page_51689.html

4. Yes, the Moray Council Community Safety Strategy is available on-line at:- http://www.moray.gov.uk/downloads/file88031.pdf 

This is therefore exempt under Section 25 – Information Otherwise Accessible

5. £2440

6. Not held. Investigating littering and fly tipping is a small part of the Community Wardens duties. The cost of delivering these enforcement activities is not available. Information that is not held falls under Section 17 of the Freedom of Information (Scotland) Act 2002 - Information not held.

7. Not held. There has been no consideration of reviewing expenditure on the aforementioned enforcement functions within the last 2 years. Information that is not held falls under Section 17 of the Freedom of Information (Scotland) Act 2002 - Information not held.