CLA urges responsible disposal of general and DIY waste this Christmas

THE Country Land and Business Association (CLA) is calling on householders to support the battle against fly tipping, by thinking twice about how they dispose of their rubbish this Christmas.

From 1 January, 2024 charges to dispose of DIY waste at recycling centres will be removed, in a bid to reduce fly tipping.

The CLA which represents landowners, farmers and rural businesses says fly tipping is a national disgrace that blights the countryside and needs to be tackled by penalties that better reflect the seriousness of the crime.

Christmas is a time when households can have an increased amount of general waste as people host friends and family. In addition, there can often be changes in local authority bin collection days too which can lead to an accumulation of waste over the festive period.

CLA President Victoria Vyvyan said:- "The scrapping of charges for DIY waste from 1 January 2024 is good news for those residents who use Recycling Centres where local authorities still charge for this, and also for farmers who end up bearing the brunt of illegal fly tipped materials dumped on their land. There are one million incidents of fly tipping reported every year, and it has a massive impact on the environment, wildlife, and crops as well as on the farmers who have to pay to clear it up. Making it cheaper and easier for people to get rid of their waste means they will be less likely to dump it illegally, but the police must also deal with the criminal gangs making money by dumping waste. We should be making it as simple as possible for people to dispose of rubbish and unwanted items responsibly, so the removal of any cost barriers is welcome."

CLA North Rural Adviser, and national CLA lead on fly tipping, Jane Harrison, said:- "Householders whose waste is fly tipped can be prosecuted, so if you pay someone to dispose of your rubbish, make sure they have a Waste Carriers Licence or their fly tipping could be your responsibility. ⅔ of all farmers and landowners have at some stage been a victim. But hundreds of thousands of offences on private land are going unrecorded, as farmers often have so little faith in the ability of the police or Council to deal with fly tipping that they simply bear the cost of removing rubbish themselves. It's not just the odd piece of litter blotting the landscape, but tonnes of household and commercial waste which can often be hazardous; even including:- asbestos and chemicals; risking the safety of people and animals. This often requires costly expert treatment to remove."

Let us know your thoughts on this news topic... Email our Newsroom at:- News24@SouthportReporter.Com or send us a message on:- Mastodon, Facebook, or Twitter.

Edge Hill University is Gold for Student Experience in TEF Rating

EDGE Hill University has been awarded the highest possible rating of gold for providing an outstanding student experience, and silver overall in the Teaching Excellence Framework (TEF).

The national assessment, run by the higher education regulator, the Office for Students (OfS) and undertaken by a panel of sector experts, rates higher education institutions in the areas that matter most to students.

TEF recognises excellence in teaching, learning, support and student outcomes.

The overall judgement is drawn from national data on student satisfaction, completion levels and employment outcomes, alongside evidence submitted by the University and students.

Each provider receives an overall rating and two underpinning ratings.

Every aspect of Edge Hill's assessment was rated:- 'outstanding' or 'very high quality.'

• Overall rating - SILVER
  

• Student experience - GOLD
  

• Student outcomes - SILVER

Lynda Brady, Pro Vice-Chancellor (Student Experience), said:- "Achieving gold for our student experience is testament to the commitment of our staff to give all students an outstanding, personalised experience which is transformative. Thank you to all staff for delivering such a positive experience for our students. We will build on this success by continuing to listen to what students tell us and continue to provide an outstanding experience to ensure our students can thrive." 

The University was praised for its:- outstanding course content, learning resources, its approach to research, innovation, scholarship, professional practice and employer engagement, together with outstanding rates of students completing their studies, which substantially exceed benchmark expectations.

Initiatives of excellence cited by the assessors include:- the University's Graduate Attributes Framework to support employment outcomes; Early Intervention Model to support student retention; personalised inductions to help students settle in quickly; and Supporting Staff to Support Students toolkits, including supporting student mental health and holistic support packages.

Read more about TEF on the OfS website. To find out more about studying at Edge Hill University, visit the website.