This comes as the council reiterates that dumping rubbish or dropping litter is a criminal offence, with offenders facing tougher penalties than ever. Fly tipping now carries a £500 fixed penalty, while the most serious cases can lead to court fines of up to £50,000.
With officers doing targeted patrols across known hotspot areas, gathering evidence and taking robust enforcement action against offenders - the council is also reminding residents and businesses that alongside making sure they are disposing of their own rubbish responsibly, they also play a crucial role in tackling environmental crime by giving accurate reports to help officers respond faster.
The fastest way to report fly tipping is through the council’s website – with:
- exact location – street name, nearby landmark or what3words.
- details of the waste – what’s been dumped and approximately how much.
- any witness details – date, time, what you saw and any vehicle details (make, colour, registration).
- a photo, if it’s safe to take one.
Cabinet Member for Neighbourhoods, Leisure & Performance, Councillor Mark Wilson, said: “Whilst the vast majority of residents, businesses and others in the community take full responsibility and dispose of their waste and recycling correctly – some don’t. Dropping litter, leaving dog poo bags lying around or fly-tipping rubbish is against the law, and with our officers out in force the message is simple – if you drop it or dump it, expect a fine. We operate a zero tolerance approach to litter and fly tipping, and anyone caught will face the consequences.
“We can act even faster and more effectively when residents report issues – which helps us build evidence, hold offenders to account and keep our streets and green spaces clean and safe for everyone.”
The council is also reminding residents using tradespeople for work or to take their rubbish away, that residents need to ensure they are using a registered waste carrier. If residents don’t know what their tradespeople do with that waste then they may be adding to the problem and, if it’s being dumped, can also be held responsible for it.
Anyone taking waste away for a fee, must have a waste carrier’s licence. If they are doing this legally, they will provide a waste transfer notice.
The council offers a bulky waste collection service and residents are able to book a collection and find out more information on the website