Fly tip stunt causes stir in St Albans City centre
Commuters and shoppers had to look twice when they came across a fly tip ‘dumped’ in St Albans yesterday as part of a S.C.R.A.P. fly tipping campaign.
The staged fly tip was organised by St Albans City and District Council and the police in support of Hertfordshire Fly Tipping Group’s campaign to reduce fly tipping.
The campaign aims to raise awareness of everyone’s legal duty of care to dispose of waste responsibly.
If people fail to take steps to ensure their waste is disposed of legitimately, and it’s later found in a fly tip, they could end up being prosecuted or fined.
The campaign encourages people to follow the S.C.R.A.P fly tipping checklist if they are arranging one-off collections of waste. This says:
- Suspect all waste carriers; do not let them take any waste until they have proven themselves to be legitimate.
- Check the waste carrier’s registration details, then verify them by searching the Environment Agency’s website or by calling 03708 506 506.
- Refuse unsolicited offers to have any rubbish taken away.
- Ask what exactly is going to happen to the rubbish and seek evidence that it is going to be disposed of appropriately.
- Paperwork should be obtained, such as a proper invoice, waste transfer note or a receipt for your waste removal. This should describe the waste and provide the waste carrier’s contact details.
Alternatively, residents can take bulky waste to a Household Waste Recycling site or book a special refuse collection online or by calling 01727 809019.
Residents are also being reminded that fly tips are not just items of household or business waste dumped at the roadside. Fly tips also extend to household waste left in plastic bags next to a litter bin, outside a charity shop or close to a recycling bank.
Thousands of fly tipping incidents are reported in Hertfordshire each year, and in 2016/17, cost tax payers over £1 million to clean up and investigate.
Since April 2017, 35 people have been prosecuted for fly tipping offences in Hertfordshire and over 100 fixed penalty notices have been issued.
Daniel Chichester-Miles, Portfolio Holder for Environment for St Albans City and District Council, said:
Fly tips are unsightly and damage the environment in which we live. This applies to piles of waste dumped in a country lane or unwanted items left in black plastic bags outside a charity shop or next to a litter bin.
We all have a duty of care to dispose of our waste responsibly. If your waste is found in fly tip and it’s traced back to you, you could end up being prosecuted or fined.
Please help us reduce fly tipping by following the S.C.R.A.P fly tipping checklist and book a legitimate waste carrier, if you need to dispose of bulky household waste. Alternatively, take excess waste to a Household Waste Recycling Centre or book a special collection with the Council.
St Albans Chief inspector Shane O’Neill said:
This publicity stunt raised awareness and got everyone talking. Fly-tipping is a problem in the St Albans district, as it is across the country. When people don’t take pride in their community, we often find pockets of anti-social behaviour. Working together, we can put a stop to this, but we need you to call us if you see anyone acting suspiciously around known dumping grounds, and please make sure you dispose of your own waste properly, so you don’t face fines or prosecution.
If people see fly tipping in progress they should call 999 immediately as well as report it to their council via www.hertfordshire.gov.uk/flytipping. They should make a note of the vehicle registration number and take photos, if possible, but are advised not to approach the fly-tippers.
Fly-tipped waste found in St Albans District can be reported to St Albans City and District Council by emailing wastemanagementservices@stalbans.gov.uk or calling 01727 809019. More information about the ‘duty of care’ to dispose of waste and fly-tipping is available on our website.
The S.C.R.A.P fly tipping campaign has been organised by the Hertfordshire Fly Tipping Group (FTG), a multi-agency taskforce working to improve how the county responds to fly tipping.
Councillor contact:
Cllr Daniel Chichester-Miles, Portfolio Holder for Environment for St Albans City and District Council
Tel: 01727 819281, Email: cllr.d.chichester-miles@stalbans.gov.uk
Contact for the media:
Amanda Wilkinson, Senior Communications Officer, St Albans City and District Council
Tel: 01727 819317, E-mail: amanda.wilkinson@stalbans.gov.uk
Notes:
The Hertfordshire Fly Tipping Group (FTG) is a multi-agency taskforce including Borough and District Councils and Hertfordshire County Council. Members also include Hertfordshire Constabulary, Hertfordshire’s Police and Crime Commissioner, Herts Fire & Rescue, the Environment Agency, the National Farmers Union and Keep Britain Tidy.
The FTG has come together to improve how Hertfordshire responds to fly tipping. The on-going work programme is resulting in improvements in enforcement capability across the county as well as the rollout of new technology to assist in identifying and prosecuting fly tippers.
Photos:
Supporting the Let’s S.C.R.A.P fly tipping campaign in St Albans city centre. (Right to left): Neighbourhood Sergeant Jordon Fox; Cllr Beric Read, Portfolio Holder for Business and the Community for St Albans City and District Council; Joe Tavernier, Head of Community Services at St Albans City and District Council, and Cllr Sue Featherstone, a member of Hertfordshire County Council’s Community Safety and Waste Management Cabinet Panel.
Staged fly tip in St Albans city centre, organised in support of the Let’s S.C.R.A.P fly tipping campaign.
Let's S.C.R.A.P fly tipping campaign poster