Fenland: Fly-tipping fines after rogue traders dump rubbish

The three each failed in their duty of care to carry out proper checks on the people they employed to ensure their waste was properly disposed of.

A Fenland councillor has warned householders they must understand and carry out their responsibilities regarding disposing of rubbish.

Fenland District Council (FDC) encourages residents to make use of compliant waste companies, including its own bulky waste service, to dispose of larger household items in confidence. FDC’s bulky waste service costs £32.50 for up to five items.

Cllr Peter Murphy, Fenland District Council’s portfolio holder for refuse and cleansing, said: “We don’t want to see our residents being the subject of an investigation, fixed penalty or possible court appearance for using a rogue trader.

“The fact is that householders have a duty of care to ensure anyone they use to take their rubbish away disposes of it properly.

“In these three recent cases, the residents in question clearly hadn’t made reasonable efforts to check on the legitimacy of those they employed.”

A man from Wisbech was given a £400 fixed penalty after waste he said he paid ‘someone’ £80 to tip for him was among decaying rubbish dumped in Trinity Road, Wisbech.

Some of the decaying rubbish that was dumped in Trinity Road, Wisbech (Image: Fenland District Council)

A March man was given a £400 penalty after showing enforcement officers messages between him and the person he employed to dispose of his waste where the fly-tipper admitted he’d had complaints about not disposing of things properly. The man still agreed to pay £460 for disposal of his waste which was found dumped in Turves.

In another case, waste found in Pondersbridge was traced back to a March resident who said he’d handed his rubbish to a man advertising on Facebook. The March man was unable to provide any detail about the man he said he’d paid.

Regarding waste carriers, residents are advised to follow the ‘S.C.R.A.P. code’:

• Suspect all waste carriers. Do not let them take your rubbish until they provide proof of registration. Note their vehicle's registration plate.
• Check that a waste carrier is registered on the Environment Agency's website or contact the Environment Agency on 03708 506506 for a free instant waste carrier validation check.
• Refuse any unexpected offers to have your rubbish taken away.
• Ask how your rubbish will be disposed of and seek evidence of this.
• Paperwork must be obtained - a proper invoice, waste transfer note or receipt, including a description of the waste being removed and the waste carrier's contact details.

Waste found in Pondersbridge was traced back to a March resident who said he’d handed his rubbish to a man advertising on Facebook (Image: Fenland District Council)

A Cambridgeshire County Council issued permit to take a van or trailer onto one of its recycling centres is not proof of being a registered waste carrier.

Householders or businesses caught using unlicensed waste carriers to dispose of their rubbish can be issued with fixed penalty notices of up to £400 if they failed to take reasonable steps to determine the person that took their waste was authorised to do so.

Failure to pay may result in court action where fines can be much larger.

Recently published figures show that between April and the end of October last year Fenland District Council’s cleansing team responded to 1,191 requests from the public to deal with fly-tipping, graffiti, street cleansing or similar requests.

Of these, 96 per cent (1,142) were actioned the same or next day.

· Household waste can be taken to local household waste recycling centres for free.

· For Fenland residents, Fenland District Council runs a cost-effective bulky waste service where a number of larger household items can be collected from outside your home for a fixed fee.

Visit: www.fenland.gov.uk/bulkywaste or report fly-tipping at www.fenland.gov.uk/flytipping or phone 01354 654321.