Code Of Practice On Litter And Refuse
We are committed to improving quality of life for for all residents - and this is intrinsically linked to the quality of the local environment. The Code of Practice 
on Litter and Refuse, first published in 1991 and revised in November 2006, the code sets out standards of environmental cleanliness for local authorities and other duty bodies to meet their obligations under s.89 of the Environmental Protection Act 1990.
All areas within Poole are cleaned to standards which are defined in the Environmental Protection Act, 1990; Code of Practice on Litter and Refuse. The Code is concerned with "output" standards rather than "input" standards - that is to say, it is concerned with how clean land is, rather than how often it is swept. Expressed in its simplest terms: "If it isn't dirty, don't clean it".
Standards of Cleanliness
Four standards of cleanliness are defined in the Code of Practice as shown below:-
- Grade A - No litter or refuse
- Grade B - Predominantly free of litter apart from small items
- Grade C - Widespread distribution of litter and refuse with minor accumulations
- Grade D - Heavily littered with significant accumulations
Cleansing Zones
The Code of Practice also requires that local authorities categorise all relevant land into different zones. The table below shows how quickly the Council aims to restore a zone which has fallen below a Grade B.
| Zones | Response times if the area falls below Grade B |
|---|---|
| High intensity of use (area which through intense pedestrian and/or vehicle movements are prone to fluctuations in litter) | ½ a day. This means by 6pm if reported before 1pm or by 1pm the next day if reported between 1pm and 6pm on the previous day. |
| Medium intensity of use (areas affected by moderate levels of pedestrian and vehicular activity) | 1 day. This means by 6pm the following day |
| Low intensity of use (area subject to low or infrequent levels of pedestrian and vehicular activity | 14 days |
| Special circumstance (land where issues of health and safety, reasonableness and practicability are dominant considerations) | 28 days or as soon as reasonably practicable |
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