Newark and Sherwood District Council recognised for fly-tipping crackdown

A council has been ranked as the best in the county for the efficient way its officers respond to fly-tipping and deal with offenders.

Fly-tipping is a significant issue across the country, and Newark and Sherwood alone saw 1,575 incidents in 2022-23.

In figures released this year, in the Government’s Local Authority League Table, it has been ranked as the best district or borough in Nottinghamshire.

The district has also scored second place across the whole of the East Midlands for incident to Fixed Penalty Notice ratio and fourth for Fixed Penalty Notice totals.

Fly-tipping is the illegal dumping of waste, and the offence can be prosecuted in court — especially in the case of large-scale waste criminals — or local authorities also have the power to issue on-the-spot fines between £150 and £400.

Newark and Sherwood District Council issued 261 of these Fixed Penalty Notices in 2022-23, a huge increase from just five issued in 2019.

Fixed Penalty Notices are just one of the methods that the council have used in the crackdown on environmental crime.

Over the past few years it has become a focus for the authority, and it has worked with partners including Nottinghamshire Police, the Environment Agency and DVSA, to conduct special operations four to six times per year and carry out stop and spot checks on vehicles which may be carrying waste to ensure they have the correct licences in place.

The council has also been working on targeting locations where fly-tipping is prevalent, such as Grange Lane and Deerdale Lane, for which a Public Space Protection order has recently been granted, and rotate 12 portable CCTV cameras around hotspots throughout the district.

Paul Taylor, portfolio holder for public protection and community relations at Newark and Sherwood District Council, said: “Fly-tipping is a serious offence and a blight to our treasured landscape and environment in Newark and Sherwood. I’ve heard from residents many times that they want to see us tackling this along with littering and other environmental offences so I’m very proud to see our officers delivering fantastic results through their hard work.

“I would encourage everyone who is having bulky waste collected to be vigilant; it’s your responsibility to ensure that you use a trustworthy carrier so always check their licence number and ask them to provide a waste transfer note or receipt. We can all do our part to help prevent these awful incidents.”

The council offers its own low-cost Bulky Waste Collection service which residents can use, so they can be sure their waste is being handled legally and responsibly.

Collections are also available for electrical items to be recycled, and upholstered seating. Collections can be booked at: www.newark-sherwooddc.gov.uk/bulkywaste.

Residents are also encouraged to check with charities such as The Furniture Project in Ollerton if they are disposing of quality usable items.

Residents can report fly-tipping offences online at www.newark-sherwooddc.gov.uk/fly-tipping or call 01636 650000.

The council promises to respond to all fly-tipping reports, and aims to clear the rubbish within 72 hours, provided it is on a street or in another public place.