Flytipping

Flytipping is the illegal dumping of waste. Common types of fly-tipped waste include:

• Household waste
• Large domestic items, such as fridges and mattresses
• Garden waste
• Commercial waste such as builders rubble, tyres and clinical waste

Flytipping is illegal, unsightly and unsafe, with some fly-tipped waste containing dangerous items including syringes, asbestos and toxic waste. It can also attract flies, rats and other disease-carrying pests.

It is an offence to fly-tip any material, carrying a fine upon conviction of up to £50,000 or one-year imprisonment. When flytipping from a vehicle, the Council can prosecute the registered keeper when only the vehicle and not the driver is identifiable.

Witnessing flytipping

If you witness a fly-tip, please follow the following advice:

• Do not approach them
• Do not go near the rubbish until you are sure it is safe and do not touch anything
• Note the date, time and place where it happened
• Note what the waste looks like and how much there is
• Note a description of any vehicles involved and vehicle registration numbers if possible
• Note a description of the person dumping the waste: height, age, male/female

Once reported, we will visit the scene to establish the quantity of rubbish and if it is our responsibility, we will remove it. We will also look for evidence, with a view to prosecuting offenders.

We will normally remove fly-tipped rubbish as soon as possible. Some flytipping may require specialist removal.

Flytipping on private property is the responsibility of the landowner to remove. We may be able to provide help to deal with landlords who do not clear up rubbish on their land.

Duty of Care

It is your responsibility to check that anyone you pay to remove waste from their property is a registered waste carrier. You should ask to view their certificate and always get a receipt confirming what they have taken, where they have disposed the rubbish and details of any payment made.

If any waste is traced back to the household where it came from the householder could be fined.

Details of registered waste carriers can be found on the Environment Agency website.

For information on public space bins and the District Cleansing Service, please have a look at our Public Space Bin and District Cleansing Policy