Update

Most residents will be now be aware that in several streets in the hospital area, the majority of residents voted for a residents parking scheme and the Council are now in the process of finalising the scheme and hope that it will be up and running in the summer. Both the Council and the Resident's Association will be monitoring the effect of the scheme.

In the mean time, the Resident's Association are committed to tackling other issues in Barnes, Pallion and Millfield.

At our February meeting Tony Hall, an Environmental Health Enforcement Officer at Sunderland Council told us a bit about his work and answered residents' questions.

• Environmental Health have taken on extra staff and there are now 2 Enforcement Officers in the Barnes and Pallion area.

• Complaints have been received recently about the amount of rubbish dumped in back lanes. In response Environmental Health staff are searching any abandoned waste for letters/bank statements etc to determine where it is coming from, and with photographic evidence they speak to the offender. A Section 46 Notice is issued; this outlines the resident's responsibilities regarding waste and advises that if it incurs again a fixed penalty notice will be served. If this fine isn't paid the offender is taken to Court when additional costs of approximately £300 will be added and the offender will have a criminal record. The Section 46 Notices, once served on every resident in an area, are now only served on targeted individuals.

If you find rubbish being dumped in your back lane, ring the Council's Contact Centre on 520 5503 and it will be investigated.

• Bins being constantly left out. These cause problems as they can be used to get over a wall to access a property, or be set alight which costs the Council to replace. They also attract others to leave rubbish out and lanes become a mess. In the Barnes area, if the bin is still out 2 days after it has been emptied, a yellow sticker is affixed across the lid to temporarily stop it being opened. The sticker advises the resident when the bin should have been taken in. A Section 46 notice will be served again outlining their responsibility to store and present their waste correctly for collection. If they continue to leave their bin in the rear lane a fixed penalty notice will be issued with the possibility that the bin will be confiscated.

• Anyone caught dropping litter gets an on-the-spot fine of £75, reducing to £50 if paid within 10 days. School children can't be fined but parents and schools are informed.

• Spitting out chewing gum incurs a fine of £80.

• Litter Street Control Notices can be served on a shop if a number of their bags/wrappers are seen to be littering the area within 100m of their shop. The shop must pick up the wrapper regardless of who has dropped it.

• Every house has a free collection service of up to 8 items per collection 3 times a year. Arrangements can be made by ringing the Council on 520 5503. You'll be given a date for collection and advised to put the items out as late as possible the night before or as early as possible on the morning of collection as collections start at 6.30 am. If something prevents a collection, eg access problems, the refuse staff will endeavour to return to collect. Sunderland Council don't charge for this service; they are determined to keep the area clean.