Record number of Fixed Penalty Notices issued for environmental offences

A record number of Fixed Penalty Notices have been issued as part of the ongoing efforts to tackle environmental crime and keep Bury clean and safe.

A total of 16 Fixed Penalty Notices have recently been issued for offences including fly-tipping, littering and breaches of commercial waste regulations, with more than half already having been paid.

The notices included:

• Six Fixed Penalty Notices for fly-tipping offences.
• Eight Fixed Penalty Notices for littering offences.
• Two Commercial Duty of Care Fixed Penalty Notices.

Enforcement action was taken following investigations at locations across the borough, including in Bury, Radcliffe and Whitefield.

• Six fly-tipping Fixed Penalty Notices of £400 were issued following incidents in Radcliffe and Bury.
• Two Commercial Duty of Care Fixed Penalty Notices of £300 were issued in Whitefield and Bury.
• Eight littering Fixed Penalty Notices of £75 were issued following offences in Bury town centre, Whitefield, and Radcliffe.

Working in partnership with the council's Control Room, Housing, Environmental Services and Neighbourhoods teams, Environmental Enforcement Officers use intelligence gathered across services to identify offenders, collect evidence and support investigations.

Through this collaborative approach and the sharing of information and resources, we are tackling fly-tipping and other environmental offences that negatively impact local communities and the environment. CCTV footage, vehicle information and intelligence from partner agencies are all used to help identify those responsible, enabling enforcement action to be taken, including Fixed Penalty Notices, cautions and prosecutions.

This joined-up way of working is delivering positive results and sends a clear message that environmental crime will not be tolerated in Bury.

Residents have access to recycling facilities across Greater Manchester, including two household waste and recycling centres in Bury, where waste can be disposed of free of charge. For local and other centres, visit: www.bury.gov.uk/recyclingcentres

If using someone to dispose of waste on your behalf, always check that they are a registered waste carrier and ask where your waste will be taken. Failure to do so could result in your rubbish being illegally dumped. You can carry out an instant (and free) check of their credentials via the Environment Agency: https://environment.data.gov.uk/publicregister/view/search-waste-carriers-brokers

Other ways residents can help prevent and support the council in tackling fly-tipping include:

• Understand what can go in your bins at home and how to save space: www.bury.gov.uk/aboutyourbins
• Find out about collections for large worn-out items: www.bury.gov.uk/bulkyitems
• Check the rules before hiring anyone to take your waste, and if you discover or witness fly-tipping, report it: www.bury.gov.uk/flytipping