Furniture and rubbish dumped in Halifax as war on fly tippers continue

Calderdale Council's Community Safety and Resilience Team showed another example of fly tippers blighting the countryside .

Furniture and rubbish was dumped in Warley Road on July 17.

Calderdale Council’s Cabinet Member for Communities and Neighbourhood Services, Coun Susan Press, said: “The council does all it can to stop fly-tipping and will not hesitate to prosecute those responsible.

“It’s too early to assess if instances of fly tipping have increased or decreased since the introduction of changes at our Household Waste Recycling Centres at the end of November, but early indications are that there has been no impact.

“Our work to tackle fly tipping goes beyond clearing the waste and identifying the culprits, we’re also working on educating people more about the impact of littering and fly tipping. The Council and the Community Foundation for Calderdale’s Don’t Muck About campaign is all about encouraging residents to feel pride in their surroundings and helping people realise that there are consequences of litter other than just how it looks.

Why is fly-tipping illegal?

Fly-tipped waste can be dangerous and hazardous to the public particularly when it consists of drums of toxic material, asbestos or syringes. Fly-tipped waste can also pollute surrounding land and nearby watercourses, damage wildlife and ecosystems. It is unsightly and it costs the council tax payer a significant amount of money to remove it.

What is the law regarding fly-tipping?

Fly-tipping of any waste is a serious criminal offence that carries a fine of £50,000 or up to 5 years in prison. You can read what the law says about fly-tipping: Environmental Protection Act 1990: Fly tipping.

Waste management permits and exemptions cover certain sites where waste is deposited or treated. If the appropriate permits or exemptions are not in place for a site then it is an offence to deposit waste there.

If a vehicle is used for fly-tipping, the driver and owner can both be prosecuted. Police and courts have power to seize and dispose of vehicles used in fly-tipping incidents.

The law also places a duty of care on producers and transporters of waste (see: What is the duty of care? for more information) to ensure the waste is disposed of properly. Only licensed waste carriers can transport and dispose of waste, and waste has to be disposed of at a site for which the appropriate permits are in place.

How to report fly tipping?

If people do witness fly tipping, in all cases, having as much information as possible helps to bring successful prosecutions, so the Council is urging people to come forward if they witness any fly tipping. The following details are required:

• The day, date, time and location of the fly tipping

• A description of any people involved

• What was fly tipped and how much

• Details of any vehicle involved, including registration number, colour, make and model

You can report fly tipping through the online form at www.calderdale.gov.uk or by calling the Council confidentially on 01422 288001.