North Devon Council is working in partnership with local environmental charity Plastic Free North Devon as part of a new campaign to encourage residents and visitors alike to take their rubbish home if bins are full.During the bin sticker campaign, many local council litter and dog waste bins will present a very simple message: ‘If this bin is full, please take your rubbish home’.The aim is to prevent people from leaving their litter on top of or beside full bins, which culprits don’t always realise is actually littering, punishable by an on-the-spot fine of up to £100.Ilfracombe councillor Netti Pearson, the council’s lead member for the Environment at North Devon Council, said: “We live in a beautiful part of the country and one of our key corporate priorities is to protect and enhance the environment of the area. People may not think there’s any problem with leaving their waste near to a bin when it’s full, but in fact this practice leads to litter being strewn across our precious landscape and is just another form of littering. This bin sticker campaign will nudge people in the right direction by reminding them that we each have a personal responsibility for the waste we produce, and if a bin is full we should take it away with us.”CEO for Plastic Free North Devon, Claire Moodie, says: “Everyone who produces waste, whether as an individual or a business, has a duty of care to take reasonable measures to make sure it is disposed of properly. The aim of this campaign is to try and connect people with their actions and the impact rubbish can have on our environment and wildlife. Taking rubbish home when a bin is full is a simple step that everyone can get involved with and is another step forward towards helping us ‘protect our playground’.”Residents and visitors are being encouraged to take a picture of the stickers when they see them and to share them on their social media channels by tagging North Devon Council and Plastic Free North Devon, both of which are also on Instagram and Twitter. Anyone who has an information on an incident of littering, slytipping or flytipping is encouraged to report it via the council’s website at www.northdevon.gov.uk.Local News – The Ilfracombe Magazine…

Residents in Ilfracombe are being reminded to treat their community and environment with respect – or expect to receive a fine. Two Public Spaces Protection Orders (PSPO) have been introduced with the aim of eliminating nuisance behaviours and improving standards for the benefit of the community. A breach of the PSPOs could result in a Fixed Penalty Notice (FPN) or, if it goes unpaid, court proceedings.The first of the PSPOs deals with antisocial behaviour in Barnstaple and Ilfracombe and targets nuisance behaviours such as street drinking, drug use, public urination and aggressive begging (using intimidating language or actions, or begging within five metres of a pay point or cash machine). The PSPO expands on restrictions already in place, which aim to prevent nuisance alcohol misuse, to include other conduct that has a detrimental effect on the local community.A second PSPO targets the actions of a minority of dog owners who fail to pick up dog waste and allow their pets to run out of control, whilst still providing open spaces where owners can freely exercise their dogs. The measures include requirements for:* owners to pick up after their dog* owners to place any out of control dog on a lead if requested* dogs to be on a lead in a public cemetery* dogs not to be present on any sports pitch or enclosed children’s play area* between 1 October and 31 March, dogs not to be present on or near land used as a High Tide Resting Site* between 1 May and 30 September, dogs not to be present on Croyde or Combe Martin beaches* dogs to be on a lead in certain locations in Braunton Burrows at certain times of yearBoth PSPOs have been designed with the aim of enabling the council to manage antisocial behaviour more proactively. A breach of either PSPO could result in the issue of a £100 Fixed Penalty Notice and failure to pay the penalty could result in court proceedings and a fine of up to £1000. Lead Member for Environment, Councillor Netti Pearson says: “The vast majority of us cherish our beautiful district and want to live in it peacefully, respecting our community and natural environment. For the minority who feel differently, we hope these measures show that antisocial and irresponsible behaviour will not be tolerated.”More details for dog owners can be found at northdevon.gov.uk/environment/dogs-in-north-devon. Full details on all PSPOs in place across the district…