Committee to consider new environmental enforcement contract

Wirral Council will shortly begin the search for a new enforcement partner to help tackle environmental offences such as littering and dog fouling if members of a key committee give it the go-ahead.

A report to the Environment, Climate Emergency and Transport Committee recommends the council should launch an open tender process for environmental enforcement services, with the aim of awarding a contract to the bidder who scores the highest following evaluation.

The report argues that the proposed contract would enable to the council to provide an effective, highly-visible deterrent to those who commit environmental crime as well as supporting the authority in making neighbourhoods cleaner.

It would also provide the best possible response to residents' concerns about the impact of littering, dog fouling and other environmental offences on local communities.

Wirral Council had previously carried out these duties in-house before it first outsourced the service in 2015 to Kingdom Services Group Ltd under an initial three-year contract, which led to a significant increase in enforcement activity and heightened public awareness of the impact of environmental offences.

A renewed contract was awarded to Kingdom in 2018, operating under a performance-based income-sharing model linked to Fixed Penalty Notices (FPNs). However, following a number of complaints and criticisms about the approach officers had taken in some cases, the Kingdom contract was terminated by mutual consent in 2019.

Since then, dog fouling and littering offences have received only limited enforcement attention, with the main focus of the small environmental enforcement team being on fly-tipping and trade waste offences.

The council has recently secured funding from Liverpool City Region Combined Authority to support environmental improvements in Wirral, including the acquisition and deployment of CCTV cameras for enforcement purposes.

As part of the work that has gone into developing proposals for an improved enforcement service, councillors took part in a workshop in 2025 to consider potential operational models. Feedback highlighted the need for any new service to operate proportionately, with appropriate oversight and accountability arrangements.

The outsourced contract now being considered would cover a broader range of enforcement activity, from littering, dog fouling and fly-tipping operations to breaches of Public Spaces Protection Orders (PSPOs), misuse of the designated launch slipway on the Wirral coastline and vehicle engine idling.

The model is based on similar arrangements that operate successfully in a number of other areas, including Liverpool, without direct subsidy from the local authority.

The council will also review existing enforcement powers and penalty levels. This includes exploring whether Public Spaces Protection Orders could be used more widely to address dog fouling and considering whether current Fixed Penalty Notice amounts remain appropriate. A review of penalty levels is expected to be completed within the next 12 months, with findings reported to the relevant decision-maker.

If committee approve the recommendations of the report when it meets on September 16th, the procurement process for the new environmental enforcement partner will follow shortly afterwards.