On-the-spot fines of £400 for fly-tippers

People who illegally dump their rubbish will be given an increased fixed penalty notice of £400 under plans being considered by Bury Council.

Extra enforcement officers have also been taken on to step up the action taken against those who fly-tip across the borough.

The move is set to approved by members of the council’s cabinet on 21 July, as issuing fines will be far less time-consuming than taking offenders to court.

Councillor Alan Quinn, cabinet member for the environment, climate change and operations, said: “Fly-tipping is a criminal offence; it’s disgusting and there is no excuse for it.

“It blights neighbourhoods and the countryside, is a threat to local wildlife and livestock, is a source of pollution and a danger to public health. It also attracts other forms of anti-social behaviour.

“On top of that, cleaning it up takes resources away from other council services which local taxpayers want their money spending on - last year we spent approximately £70,000 on clearing away fly-tipping.”

Nationally, there were 976,000 fly-tipping incidents in 2019/20. In Bury, incidents increased by a third from 2,998 in 2019/20 to 3,898 in 2020/21.

Cllr Quinn said: “Taking people to court for fly-tipping is difficult as the ‘burden of proof’ in court is ‘beyond all reasonable doubt’ and it’s expensive. Fixed penalty notices will be immediate and easier to issue: and there will be no discount for early payment, bringing us into line with most authorities in Greater Manchester. However, prosecution in court will remain an option.

“We have just taken on two new enforcement officers whose job will be to identify offenders and take action against them.

“We also recognise the tremendous work of community volunteers in Bury, Ramsbottom, Whitefield, Tottington, Radcliffe and Prestwich in helping to clear up waste, and they can play an important role in gathering the intelligence we need to carry out enforcement.”

Cllr Quinn added that there had been a noticeable increase in advertisements on social media for unlicensed waste removal services.

“Every individual and business has a duty of care to ensure they correctly dispose of their waste,” he said, “and many unsuspecting householders are being caught out by these rogue traders, drawn by their attractive low rates compared to legitimate operators.

“I urge residents to check their credentials before using them. Remember – if fly-tipped waste can be traced back to its owner, the owner can be fined even if they had acted in good faith and were not aware the waste was going to be fly-tipped.”

Residents should ask any waste carrier for their address and telephone number, their waste carrier licence, and ask where their waste will be taken to. You can carry out an instant (and free) check of their credentials via the Environment Agency: https://environment.data.gov.uk/public-register/view/search-waste-carriers-brokers

There are 21 recycling centres in Greater Manchester where residents can take their waste free of charge for disposal. Details: https://www.bury.gov.uk/index.aspx?articleid=10838

ENDS

Press release issued: 14 July 2021.