Fly-tipping is when waste is illegally dumped on roads or land not licensed for waste.
It often consists of things such as household waste, large domestic appliances, garden waste, furniture or building rubble. It is unsightly and sometimes dangerous.
We take the issue very seriously and will always take action against anyone caught fly-tipping. Where there is evidence to indicate who is responsible for the fly-tip we will always investigate, regardless of where the fly-tip is.
The penalties for fly-tipping include prosecution which can result in an unlimited fine or up to five years imprisonment. Alternatively, we can issue a fixed penalty notice for £1,000 (reduced to £500 if paid within 10 days).
If the fly-tipping is:
- on roads, pavements or council owned land we will remove the rubbish as soon as possible. This may take a little longer if we need specialist equipment or need to examine rubbish for evidence.
- on private land, the land owner is responsible for the removal, however, we will try to identify the landowner and instruct them to remove it.
If you are getting rid of rubbish through a private contractor, you are responsible for ensuring you use a registered waste carrier - we recommend you search the Environment Agency’s website, always ask to see a waste collector's registration and get a receipt showing details of the waste carrier and what they removed. If you don't do this, and your rubbish is found fly tipped and traced back to you, you may be liable to a fixed penalty notice of £600 (reduced to £300 if paid within 10 days).
Alternatively, book a bulky and scrap collection to get rid of unwanted household items.