News » Campaign tackles costly fly tipping
 Campaign tackles costly fly tipping 17 March, 2014 | |
Campaign tackles costly fly tippingFLY TIPPING costs the taxpayers of Hinckley & Bosworth around £25,000 every year. From small deposits of one or two black sacks, through to full van loads of construction material, green waste and tyres, the Borough Council has to deal with about 40 incidents of fly tipping every month. So in the coming weeks, the council’s Clean Neighbourhoods team will be focusing on the problem as part of its continuing ‘Keep It Clean’ campaign. If it isn’t possible for householders or businesses to take their own waste to a tip site then people need to bear in mind their legal duty of care when it comes to employing anyone other than the council to remove the waste for them. Under this duty, householders are required to take reasonable measures to ensure that household waste produced on their property is passed on to an authorised person. Businesses that regularly carry waste should be registered with the Environment Agency as licensed waste carriers. Businesses also have to pay to dispose of waste, so always beware of being offered unusually low prices for this service coupled with the absence of the appropriate registration. As part of the duty of care legislation, if the waste can be traced back to its source and reasonable steps haven’t been taken to comply with the duty of care then they may be liable for a fine of up to £5,000. Clean Neighbourhood Officer Luke Clements said: “We recommend to the public and businesses alike that they check for the waste carrier’s licence and also keep a record of the removal by using a waste transfer note. “This includes the carrier’s details, the waste that was given to them and when it was taken. This note needs to be signed by both parties.” Councillor Bill Crooks, Executive Member Responsible for Clean Neighbourhoods, said: “I hope residents will report any incidents of fly tipping. Apart from ruining our countryside it is also costing council taxpayers a lot of money to clean it up, money which could be spent on more important projects to benefit local residents. ”It’s also worth remembering that for a small charge, the council will come and collect bulky items such as furniture, appliances and sheds etc. The team will also be increasing their deployment of CCTV cameras in a variety of known fly tipping hotspots." There will also be regular roadside ‘spot checks’ of waste-carrying vehicles to ensure they have the correct licence and documentation. The maximum penalty on conviction for a fly tipping offence is £50,000 and the possibility of a one year prison sentence.
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