DAWLISH Town Council is to consult the public on how best to use new powers delegated to it under the Clean Neighbourhoods and Environment Act. In April this year, the Act gave parish councils a range of new powers to tackle environmental crime in their communities, with the aim of reducing the amount of litter, graffiti, dog fouling and flyposting on their streets. It enables the council to issue fixes penalty notices. Dawlish is in a unique position as it already has a parish maintainer and a waterfowl warden on hand daily. With necessary training, they would be able to gather evidence of any offences and issue fixed penalty notices. These would be enforced by the town council and through the magistrates' court if necessary. Until the scheme has been running for a while, an exact figure on how much it will cost the council cannot be given. However, it is thought that costs for Dawlish will not exceed £4,500 in the first year, which includes setting it up and initial training. Funds that the council raises through fines can be spent on any of its activities, but it expects the income from this to be small. 'Use of the new powers is not a money-making exercise but an active attempt to improve the quality of life in Dawlish,' said a Dawlish Town Council officer. In order for the council to see how the public wishes it to use these powers, a consultation form has been produced. It asks what problems there currently are in Dawlish, and what you would like to see improved by use of the money raised through fines. It is available at the Manor House, Dawlish Library, the leisure centre, the hospital, Somerfields, Dillons, The Castle Inn, Gerald's Supermarket and the tourist information office.
