Fly Tipping

 

A Fly Tipping Enforcement Unit has been set up to deal with incidents of Fly Tipping and Illegal Dumping in the borough.

 

What is Fly Tipping?

Fly Tipping is the "illegal deposit of any waste on to land that has no licence to accept waste."
 

Waste includes: general household waste, larger domestic items e.g. fridges, mattresses etc, garden refuse, commercial waste e.g. builders rubble, clinical waste and tyres. Such waste can occur in any quantities in any mixture in any location.
 

The Council provides ample facilities for the removal of waste and unwanted goods and materials. When people choose not to use these facilities they may dump their waste indiscriminately. Fly tipping can appear anywhere:- housing estates: grass verges; private land; garage sites; woodland; public open spaces; cemeteries; even neighbours gardens - the list goes on - nowhere is safe.

It is an offence under the Environmental Protection Act 1990 to fly tip any material. Conviction could lead to a heavy fine.

Remember - if you are asking a third party e.g. a builder or contractor to dispose of waste on your behalf, you should ensure they are a registered waste carrier. You are responsible for checking they are registered, so always ask to see their certificate. Always get a receipt confirming what they have taken and where they have disposed of it and details of any payment made.  Details of registered waste carriers can be found on the Environment Agency  public register.  

The main aim of the unit is to stop fly tipping by:

• Enforcement, including prosecution of anyone found fly tipping in Tameside.
• Educating people, showing the real costs of fly tipping to the Community, the environment and Council Tax payers.

We do this by visits involving schools, groups etc in conjunction with the Recycling Section, giving presentations showing the effects of fly tipping in rural and urban areas of the borough and explaining how waste can be disposed of correctly.

We work closely with other departments of the Council including Commercial Waste, District Assemblies, Recycling etc in order to prevent fly tipping occurring in the first place and when it does happen on council land to clear it up quickly and if possible prosecute the offenders.  On private land we will take action where possible to get the landowners or others responsible to clean up. 

Since the inception of the Unit in December 2003 we have investigated several thousand reports of fly tipping ranging from individual items to multiple lorry loads. Investigations have been carried out and where suitable evidence has been gathered, cases have been successfully prosecuted. This is an ongoing process.

The consequences of fly tipping can be far reaching. For example in rural areas not only is it an eyesore and blight on an otherwise beautiful location, but it can pose a very real hazard to wildlife and farm animals. In more urban areas there is always a risk to health and safety of individuals and potentially a public health risk depending on the contents of the tipping. In both cases, it can cause long lasting contamination, pollution and put human health at risk. In both town and country locations the actual costs of removal of the rubbish including officer’s time, labour, vehicle and tipping costs can be extremely expensive to both private land owners and Council Tax payers.

When we receive a complaint of fly tipping an Officer will respond as soon as possible in order to investigate and photograph the scene before it gets disturbed. If suitable evidence or witnesses can be obtained, we carry out further investigations and take appropriate action ranging from warning letters, the serving of legal notices, to prosecution for fly tipping. The penalties for fly tipping can be severe and can run into thousands of pounds. The Council will try to remove fly tipped material as soon as possible, where it is on Council Land. If the material is on private land, it is the responsibility of the owner of the land to remove it. We will endeavour to assist land owners whenever possible by taking appropriate enforcement action against fly tippers.

What the public can do to help

Fly tipping is illegal and dangerous, it can ruin the appearance of an area and bring down the neighbourhood.

If you report it, the rubbish can be removed and with your help the crime can be investigated. View our Service Charter.

The Council may wish to prosecute the person fly tipping and will be keen to use your evidence in court. Even if you do not wish to be a witness, it is still important to report these crimes. Help beat environmental crime by making sure it is always reported.

Fly tippers are doing something illegal. They do not want to be caught. You should not approach them. Only approach the site when you are sure it safe to do so.

Some waste is hazardous. Do not touch anything, you should not approach the waste or open any bags or containers.

You can report fly tipping by using the contact details at the bottom of this webpage.  Please help by giving as much information as possible

• Your details, name, address, telephone number etc. (This will not be used in evidence without your express permission)
• Day, date and time that you saw the fly tipped rubbish.
• Location of the dumped rubbish. (Please be as specific as you can).
• Did you see anyone in the act of dumping the rubbish?
• Details of the fly tippers. (Include the following: how many people you saw dumping the rubbish; what they looked like; Did you recognise any of them? Their names and addresses if you know any of them.
• Was there a vehicle involved? If so what did it look like? What was its make, model, colour and registration number? Were there any distinguishing features on it?
• At what time did you first see the tipping and at what time did you see it stop? Did you see the whole incident from the beginning? If not, from what point did you see it?
• Where were you when you saw the fly tipping? (Include details on the view you had; whether you could see clearly; where you were in relation to the incident; how far away you were.
• What was the weather like? (E.g. clear/cloudy/sunny/dark).
• What was dumped e.g. bed, food, furniture, medical waste, or what did the waste look like? (E.g. black bags, drums).
• How much was there. (E.g. two black bags, car boot full, lorry load).
• Was anyone else there with you? Please give their name and contact details if they are happy for you to do so.

These details will greatly assist in our investigations and hopefully the subsequent prosecution of the fly tippers.

 

Remember... Fly Tipping is a Crime! Help Stamp It Out!

Report fly-tipping here