Page 60 - br-may-2021
P. 60

May 2021                                                                             May 2021

       Like all swimmers I feel terribly hungry after                                      quick top-up (a charge of 15 minutes) will enable a journey of about 15 miles, or
       a  swim  so  the  barbecue  laid  on  by  the                                       a full charge will take 2-4 hours, depending on the vehicle. To see the locations of
       hotel was very welcome.                                                             all Dorset’s charge points, visit www.zap-map.com

       Time  to  thank  Sally  and  her  team  for  a
       really  enjoyable  swim  and  wish  Scott  and                                      Abandoned Vehicles
       his  family  a  happy  holiday.  From  the
       happy  look  on  his  face,  I  knew  he  would                                     On  Tuesday  16  March,  officers  from  Dorset  Council’s  Waste  Enforcement  Team
       be  back  next  year.  He  had  swum  well                                          carried  out  an  operation  targeting  untaxed  vehicles  in  Weymouth  that  were
       without a wetsuit, finishing in the top 20.                                         reported  as  abandoned  by  members  of  the  public.  This  followed  a  similar
                                                                                           operation  the  previous  week  when  the  team  attended  three  locations  across
       There  was  a  mad  scramble  for  the  sea                                         Dorset,  responding  to  abandoned  vehicle  reports  in  Bridport,  Portland,  and
       tractor as we all tried to leave together. As                                       Swanage. For  a  vehicle  to  be considered  “abandoned”, it  must be parked on
       I looked back I could see the island give a                                         public  land/highway  (such  as  a  residential  road)  and  not  be  taxed.  The
       rascally  glint  in  the  gathering  evening                                        Enforcement  Team  receive  around  1,300  legitimate  reports  of  abandoned
       gloom. The few hours we spent there had passed in a moment.                         vehicles  each  year,  with  about  60%  qualifying  for  enforcement  such  as  fines,
       I  loved  the  informality  of  it  all  and  the  sense  of  fun.  Shouldn’t  this  be  what   clamping and/or removal.
       swimming is all about? It didn’t seem to matter too much whether you won or lost,   If  members  of  the  public  wish  to  report  an  untaxed  vehicle,  this  can  be  done
       it was enjoying  the moment  that  counted. I shall  definitely be  back  again  next   online.  We  would  encourage  the  vehicle  owners  to  contact  the  Waste
       year!                                                                               Enforcement Team on 01305 225473 so that officers can assist them to secure the
                                                                                           release of their vehicle. Please note that if a vehicle has been left on the highway
                                                                                           and is causing a hazard or has been burnt out and reported by the police, its tax
                                                                                           and MOT status is irrelevant, and Dorset Council will investigate. If any member of
                                                                                           the public suspects a vehicle has been abandoned on a public highway, they
                                                                                           should report it to us via our online form or by calling 01305 221040.

                                                                                           Please don’t
                                                                                           recycle nappies!
                                                                                           A  campaign  has  been
                                                                                           launched    aimed    at
                                                                                           stopping    disposable
                                                                                           n a p p i e s    f r o m
                                                                                           contaminating  recycling
                                                                                           as a survey reveals more
                                                                                           than   one   million   UK
                                                                                           nappy  users  are  putting
                                                                                           them  in  their  recycling
                                                                                           bins. Dorset Council has joined forces with environmental charity Keep Britain Tidy
                                                                                           to  launch  the  campaign.    A  council  spokesman  said:  "Each  year  there  are
                                                                                           around  3,300 births  recorded  in Dorset  and,  at  an estimated  2,200  nappies  per
                                                                                           baby per year, this means there are about seven million used disposable nappies
                                                                                           in Dorset household waste every year."
                                                                                           Recycling  bins  containing  materials  which  cannot  be  recycled  at  the  kerbside

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