Croydon: Two new bills being put before Parliament could give local councils stronger powers to tackle graffiti and other anti-social behaviour.

Promoted by the Association of London Government (ALG), one of the bills tackles the problem of abandoned cars by proposing measures designed to cut the red tape that gets in the way of their speedy removal from London's roads.

As well as giving councils the powers to fine people dropping litter, the bill would give councils the power to enter a private property to remove graffiti and to charge the cleaning costs to the owners.

In line with the thinking of a number of London councils, it addresses one of the root causes of the problem by calling for a ban on the sale of spray paints to under 18s.

The second bill, jointly promoted by the ALG with Transport For London, proposes that certain road traffic offences should be decriminalised, so that councils would enforce offences such as driving the wrong way up a one way street, maximum weight of goods and keeping drop-off places outside schools free of parked vehicles.

December 11, 2001 14:00