Resident fined £300 for not checking waste carrier who dumped countryside fly-tip
Last updated: 4/26/2023 9:38:12 AM
A resident has been issued a fine of £300 after failing to check who was disposing of her bathroom refurbishment waste that led to an irresponsible contractor dumping the items on a picturesque country road in Rushcliffe.
Rushcliffe Borough Council has issued the fixed penalty notice to the householder, and also fined the business owner £400, after they found evidence belonging to the property in the waste at a field entrance in Tithby near Langar.
Several black bin bags full of builders’ waste, a shower enclosure panel and a laundry basket were found by the authority’s Enforcement Officers from Waste Investigations Support & Enforcement (WISE) in September 2022.
The subsequent investigation traced some of the items back to the householder who was then questioned about the incident and subsequently fined.
Householders who employ individuals or companies to dispose of their waste must make the necessary checks or face a potential penalty if it is linked with a fly-tipping case such as this, known as the householder’s duty of care.
In the last 12 months WISE have issued 42 similar fixed penalty notices of up £400 to businesses who have fly-tipped waste and residents, four of which were Duty of Care cases where fly-tipping has been traced back to a householder.
As a result of the ongoing enforcement action, the Council has seen a reduction in reports of fly-tipping in the Borough, falling from 1,129 cases in 2020/21 to 929 in 2022/23.
Residents can check whether a waste carrier is registered online or by calling 03708 506 506.
When residents are considering arranging for anyone to collect waste from their household, they should always carry out the following checks:
- Don’t be afraid to ask questions- always ask a carrier what exactly is going to happen to your waste and seek evidence that it is going to be disposed of appropriately. A legitimate, professional waste carrier who wants your business should not object to being asked reasonable questions.
- Ask for details of their waste carrier registration through the above Environment Agency link.
- Record the vehicle registration numbers of any vehicle used by a private waste carrier to take your waste away.
- Ask for a proper invoice and receipt.
- Never accept unsolicited offers to have waste taken away.
- Get more than one quote and expect to pay a reasonable fee- the fees that legitimate waste carriers have to pay to dispose of waste that they collect are not cheap. An unusually low quote, or an offer to take rubbish away for free in order to profit from any scrap metal that may be among it, should be treated with suspicion.
Powers put in place since 2019 can see Borough and District Councils impose the penalties should a householder’s domestic waste be found dumped.
If the penalty is not paid, householders can still be taken to court for alleged offences and face a potential £5,000 fine if convicted.
This fine system means individuals can receive the bill as an alternative to court action as the Council seeks to clamp down on cases of fly-tipping, littering and dog fouling across the Borough in its partnership with WISE.
The authority’s Deputy Chief Executive and Director Neighbourhoods Dave Banks said: “Householders looking to get rid of waste from their property must ensure they check the licence of the waste carrier they choose to employ.
“If items from your property are linked to fly-tipping we could be knocking on your door with a fixed penalty notice as we have done in four cases with residents in the last 12 months and it is vital householders take the responsibility to carry out the necessary checks.
“Our action to find irresponsible business owners who choose to blight our landscapes in Rushcliffe by dumping rubbish will continue and we will not hesitate to take action on those who flout the rules.”
WISE’s environmental enforcement service operates across the Borough, clamping down on dumped domestic and commercial waste seven days a week.
The authority encourages reporting of any other fly-tipping in Rushcliffe
The Council’s Streetwise and waste teams also offer collections of large unwanted items for £23 for the first item and any other item thereafter will be £11. To make a booking or for more information visit our bulky waste collection page.