Let’s S.C.R.A.P. Fly-Tipping!
Let’s S.C.R.A.P. Fly-Tipping
Fly-tipping is the illegal dumping or tipping of waste or rubbish onto any land that does not have a licence to accept that waste. The effects of fly-tipping can cause environmental damage, health risks, area decline, financial burdens and legal consequences on the parish.
Fly-tipping includes everything from general household rubbish to commercial waste, construction waste, garden waste, hazards waste (including asbestos), white goods. mattresses, rubble, tyres and even abandoned vehicles.
Residents and businesses have a responsibility to help make sure their waste is disposed of properly. Even if it’s given to someone else, and they then illegally dump it, you could still be fined or face court action if you haven’t taken reasonable steps to prevent that from happening. This is known as Duty of Care.
The penalty for fly-tipping ranges from a hefty fine up to £50,000 or up to five years in prison depending on what is dumped, how much is dumped and where.
WDC investigate all reports of fly-tipping where there is a reasonable chance of finding evidence that will lead to a prosecution.
How to help stop fly-tipping
Make sure your waste is disposed of properly. Follow the S.C.R.A.P code to keep yourself safe from prosecution and to help to protect our environment.
- S – Suspect all waste carriers. Do not let them take your waste until they have proven themselves to be legitimate. A professional waste carrier should happily answer reasonable questions.
- C – Check that a waste carrier has a licence, using the waste carrier public register on the Environment Agency website.
- R – Refuse any unexpected offers to have your rubbish taken away. If you suspect that someone who you have spoken to will be disposing of waste illegally, report them to the Environment Agency.
- A – Ask what will happen to your rubbish and seek evidence that it is going to be disposed of appropriately.
- P – Paperwork must be obtained. Always get a proper invoice, waste transfer note or receipt, including a description of the waste being removed and the waste carrier’s contact details.
What to do if you see someone fly-tipping
If you see someone fly-tipping write down as many relevant details as possible and report them to WDC. The sort of information they need includes:
- A description of the people fly-tipping
- Full description of any vehicle involved, especially the registration
- What was fly-tipped
- What kind of view you had and whether anyone else was with you
Report fly-tipping on public land
If you see rubbish dumped on public land, roads, paths or bridleways then please report it to WDC at https://www.wychavon.gov.uk/environmental-crime/fly-tipping
They will investigate and arrange for the waste to be removed.
If the waste blocks the road or presents an immediate hazard to traffic report it to the County Council Highways Department on 01905 765765.
Alternatively, please call Client Services on 01386 565018.
Reported fly-tipping would normally be cleared within 24 hours, Monday to Friday. It may take longer if reported over the weekend. Sometimes they will leave a “Council Aware” sticker on the fly-tipped waste which means that it is either under investigation or awaiting clearance.
Fly-tipping on private land
If waste is dumped on private land then it is the landowner’s responsibility to remove it, or ask a licensed waste carrier to do it for them, and make sure it is disposed of properly. WDC can still investigate where the waste has come from.
If the waste presents a health hazard it should be reported to Worcs Regulatory
Services on 01905 822799 or email wrsenquiries@worcsregservices.gov.uk
Disposing of waste through Wychavon District Council
WDC run a bulky waste collection service for residents, there are brown bins available for garden waste collection/disposal and they also have a commercial waste collection service.
Report, Report, Report!
The Community, Safety and Environmental Protection Officers with Malvern Hills District Council and Wychavon District Council follow up on reported issues such as littering, graffiti, dog contamination and other environmental issues as well as fly-tipping. They want to enforce, empower, enthuse, educate and engage with the community on duty to care, and need everyone to join in, possibly even adopting a street to look after. A successful project called “Little Litter Warriors” has already been rolled out within Worcestershire and could be adopted locally.
The use of technology, such as cctv, smart water and covert cameras, are all being used by the enforcement team to try to combat fly-tipping in the hope of finding evidence that will lead to a prosecution.
The main message to pass on to the public is to make sure to report everything. It can be done anonymously, confidentially and it doesn’t matter if the report has been repeated by others.
