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Fly-tipping

Fly-tipping is illegal.

Fly-tipping is the illegal dumping of waste. In simple terms it can vary from a single bag of waste upwards to thousands of tonnes of construction and demolition waste.

It can pose a significant threat to people, wildlife, the environment and the local economy. It also undermines legitimate waste businesses where unscrupulous operators undercut those operating within the law.

Report fly-tipping online by completing our online form Fly-tipping.

Report fly-tipping

Registered waste carriers

If you are paying someone to remove your waste then you must use a Registered Waste Carriers or you could be committing an offence.

Cost to the tax payer

Fly-tipping costs us tens of thousands of pounds to clear up every year. We actively investigate instances of fly-tipping to find evidence of who dumped the waste and who it originally belonged to, and then take legal action.

Fly-tipping FAQs

Local councils and the Environment Agency both have a responsibility to deal with fly tipping. Local councils deal with most cases of fly tipping on public land, whilst the Environment Agency investigates and enforces against the larger, more serious and organised illegal waste crimes.

Fly-tipping is a serious criminal offence under the Environmental Protection Act 1990 which carries a fine of up to £50,000 and/or imprisonment.

Information supplied by the local community helps us to tackle fly-tipping so we ask that you report fly-tipping using the online reporting form.

We will investigate instances of fly-tipping where the offender can be identified.

We receive information about suspected fly-tippers from talking to witnesses, reviewing recordings from CCTV units set up to catch fly-tippers in the act or from information in the waste.

  • The day, date, location and time that the incident occurred
  • A description of the person dumping the waste
  • If they arrived in a vehicle, a description of the vehicle and the registration number
  • If they are on foot, details of their address if you saw them leave a house or business property
  • A description of the waste dumped e.g. fridge, garden waste, black bags etc.
  • How far away you were when the incident occurred
  • What kind of view you had

We will remove fly-tipped waste on land the council is responsible for.

If the rubbish is on private property it is the responsibility of the land owner to have it removed.

Do not touch the fly-tipped waste. Interfering with or removing any potential evidence from a fly-tip may jeopardise any potential enforcement action.

Fly-tipped waste may also contain syringes, broken glass, asbestos, toxic chemicals or other hazardous substances.

If the waste is on private land you should tell the landowner, if they are known to you, and the council who will investigate. Please tell us if the waste is on council or public land.

Whether you are a private householder or a business you have a duty in law to ensure that you store and dispose of your waste correctly.

As a local resident you usually dispose of your household waste using your wheelie bin.

You may also take some of your waste to one of the Community Recycling Centres or use the Bulky Item Collection Service.

You may also need to use a private registered waste carrier to deal with some types of waste.

If you are a business you must ensure that you use a trade waste service or use a registered waste carrier for all of your waste.

If you give your waste to a person that is not a registered waste carrier you may be committing an offence.

There is a Code of Practice  which sets out the requirements of the Waste Duty of Care issued under section 34 of the Environmental Protection Act 1990 .

Ask to see their registration as a waste carrier. To check if they are a registered waste carrier call the Environment Agency on 03708 506 506 or got to the Environment Agency  website.

Ask the person offering to take the waste where they are going to take the waste. Refuse to hand over the waste if you suspect the waste is not being handled in line with the law. Get a receipt or waste transfer note from them detailing the waste they have removed, how much it has cost and where they are going to take it.

There have been a number of instances where residents have employed rogue waste carriers advertising on social media, and in particular Facebook. Rogue waste carriers will offer to take away your rubbish for a fee.

Council investigations have revealed that these rogue waste carriers, advertising as a ‘man with a van’, are not registered waste carriers and are acting illegally by taking residents waste and then fly-tipping it.

All residents and businesses have a legal responsibility to make sure their waste is disposed of correctly; if you let an unregistered waste carrier take away your rubbish, you are breaking the law and may be liable to a fine and even a criminal record. There is a Code of Practice  which sets out the requirements of the Waste Duty of Care issued under section 34 of the Environmental Protection Act 1990.

A local landlord was recently prosecuted for not ensuring the company he used was licensed and the waste removed from his properties was fly tipped.

Make sure you check  that anyone taking away your waste is a registered waste carrier. Remember, if an offer sounds too good to be true, it probably is.

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