Hitting flytippers where it hurts

Date: 
Wednesday, 24 April, 2019

 

With the help of local people, flytippers in East Dunbartonshire are paying the price for their selfish and destructive actions which cause a blight on our beautiful landscape.

Flytipping is an offence under the Environmental Protection Act 1990 and so far this year, the Council's Community Safety Officers have issued five fixed penalty notices - landing offenders with a £200 fine for their trouble.

Councillor Billy Hendry, Convener of the Place, Neighbourhood & Corporate Assets Committee is grateful to local people for their help in ensuring flytippers are dealt with.

He said, "Flytippers choose quiet areas at times when they hope not to be seen but thanks to local people spotting their activities, reporting it to the Council and providing witness statements we are able to catch up with them.

"This is a sign that people are no longer tolerating flytipping and are willing to get involved to ensure offenders are punished. The simple evidence they provide, like vehicle registration numbers and descriptions of the offenders are invaluable in helping us investigate."

If a fixed penalty notice is not paid then the Council submits a case to the Procurator Fiscal which can lead to a court hearing or a bigger fine.

So far in 2019, within East Dunbartonshire, three out of the five fixed penalty tickets issued have been paid, one is still within timescale for paying and the final one is now the subject of a report to the Procurator Fiscal.

There is no excuse for flytipping as the Council offers uplifts for bulky waste or householders can take waste directly to the Mavis Valley Waste Transfer Station.

Increasingly, Council officers are finding that a lot of flytipping in East Dunbartonshire is done by people who are given the job of removing waste, in good faith by householders.

Councillor Hendry had this warning for householders thinking of paying such a private company/person. "Remember that it's your responsibility to check their credentials," he said.

"They must have a waste carrier licence and a waste transfer note which they must show you as proof that they are authorised to transfer/carry waste. If you don't carry out the proper checks and the dumped items can be traced to you, you could be fined."

Members of the public can help reduce the eyesore that is flytipping by reporting it online (https://www.eastdunbarton.gov.uk/residents/environmental-health/fly-tipping) or by calling 0300 123 4510 in confidence.

 

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