A new pilot scheme has launched which aims to combat litter being thrown on grass verges in the East Riding.
A CCTV camera using AI technology is now being used on a road in Willerby to record drivers who dump their rubbish on the roadside. East Riding of Yorkshire Council launched the scheme alongside LitterCam on Monday, June 23 – it will run for 12 weeks.
The council says that the annual cost of clearing litter from the streets in the East Riding is a staggering £4.36m. It’s hoped that this trial will encourage motorists to take their rubbish home and discard of it responsibly.
The camera system is reportedly the ‘first of it’s kind in the UK’ and uses AI software to automatically detect numbers plates and record any rubbish dumped from vehicles. This information is then passed on to the council’s streetscene enforcement team who can analyse the footage to determine if an offence has been committed.
During the trial, the council is intending to issue warning letters to offenders rather than fixed penalties. The main aim of the scheme is to ‘gather information’.
The camera is located near to the Willerby roundabout on the A164 road as it is a high traffic location with several fast-food outlets nearby. Should the trial be successful, the council would consider installing more cameras in hot spots.
Councillor Lyn Healing, the council’s cabinet member for communities and public protection, said: “We are committed to tackling litter in the East Riding and embracing the use of modern technology is a key element of our strategy.
“Littering is against the law and keeping our streets clean – including our roadsides – costs the council around £4m per year. This trial partnership with LitterCam will allow us to better understand how AI can be used in the fight against litter.”
(Image: East Riding of Yorkshire Council)
Littercam is a Wakefield-based company and has previously been involved in trials by other authorities, including in London, Manchester, Scotland, the Netherlands and in Saudi Arabia, and most recently in Loughborough where 28 fines of £150 were issued and verge litter was reduced by 40% as a result of the camera system.
Andrew Kemp, co-founder and CEO of LitterCam, said: “We are delighted to be working with East Riding of Yorkshire Council, supporting them in tackling the blight of litter and through the trialling of innovate AI technology.”