Fly-tippers fined following Council investigations
Two offenders have been hit with hefty fines following separate investigations by Cotswold District Council.
A £1,000 Fixed Penalty Notice (FPN) was issued after controlled waste was illegally dumped in a ditch near Fairford. Following a report from a member of the public, council officers investigated the incident, identified the offender and, after the offence was admitted, issued the penalty.
In a separate case, a householder was issued with a £600 Fixed Penalty Notice for failing in their household waste duty of care after their waste was found dumped near Whittington.
Under the Environmental Protection Act, householders have a legal responsibility to ensure anyone taking away their waste is authorised to do so. Failing to check that a waste carrier is properly licensed can result in enforcement action if the waste is fly-tipped.
Cllr Andrea Pellegram, cabinet member for environmental regulatory services, said: "Fly-tipping damages our countryside, harms wildlife and creates unnecessary costs for taxpayers. These enforcement actions send a clear message that we will investigate incidents and take action where offences are identified."
She thanked members of the public for reporting fly-tipping and helping officers investigate offences, and added: "Community support is invaluable in helping us hold offenders to account."
She also praised Ubico crews for their continued work clearing fly-tipped waste. "A recent message from a resident thanking the team for going above and beyond was a wonderful reminder that their efforts make a real difference to our communities," she said.
Residents can help tackle fly-tipping by reporting incidents to Cotswold District Council as soon as possible and by ensuring anyone they pay to remove waste is a registered waste carrier. You can check whether a waste carrier is registered on the Environment Agency's public register before handing over your waste.
If you arrange for someone to remove your waste, we also recommend making a note of the vehicle registration number. If the waste is subsequently fly-tipped, this information may help us identify and investigate those responsible.
Anyone caught fly-tipping or failing in their duty of care could face a fixed penalty notice or prosecution, depending on the circumstances of the offence.
You can find out more about fly-tipping and duty of care of the Council’s website.