The Cleaner Nottinghamshire Group has been launched to combat flytipping.
Fly-tippers are being warned that action is being stepped up against their crimes throughout Nottinghamshire.
Rushcliffe Borough Council and Newark and Sherwood District Council are a part of The Cleaner Nottinghamshire Group which has been launched to combat environmental crime by sharing resources and intelligence.
The group, made up of all Nottinghamshire local authorities, Nottinghamshire Police, Highways England, Nottinghamshire Police and Crime Commissioner and the Environment Agency, are able to share data around illegal waste carriers, vehicles used in fly-tipping offences and perpetrators of waste crime.
Last year, flytipping cost the taxpayer £12.2m in England in 2018.
Councillor David Lloyd, district council leader, said: “Fly-tipping is an illegal, ugly, hazardous blight on the environment which is tarnishing landscapes across Newark and Sherwood.
“We are continuing to invest time and resources into tackling this crime as part of our Cleaner, Safer and Greener initiative and we are actively pursuing perpetrators. I welcome this partnership with the police and other councils to strengthen our links across district and county borders in dealing with fly-tipping and I hope it will make a positive difference.”
Many such instances are carried out by individuals operating as illegal waste carriers and householders can help combat the problem by making sure they only pass waste to a registered carrier or broker.
Waste carrier licences are a legal requirement for those who collect, carry, buy, sell or dispose of waste. It is a criminal offence to carry out activity of such nature without a licence.
Advertisements of waste collection services and ‘tip runs’ are also rife on local social media pages and selling sites. However, such services are often offered very cheaply and rubbish is consequently not always disposed of legally.
In addition, the reality is that those who use these collection services are just as liable as those who abandoned the waste and are therefore inadvertently contributing to the surge in dumped waste in the district.
It is essential that those needing to get rid of bulky waste check that the service that they are using is legal and licensed on the Environment Agency website.
Fly-tipping is a crime under the Environmental Protection Act which carries a possible fine of up to £50,000. Fixed penalty notices are an important method of enforcement in tackling small scale fly-tipping incidents.
Rushcliffe Borough Council’s Portfolio Holder for Environment and Safety Mr Rob Inglis was pleased that the new alliance would help local authorities in bringing fly-tippers to justice.
He said: “Since the start of 2018 we have successfully secured four prosecutions relating to the illegal disposal of waste in the Borough and the Cleaner Nottinghamshire Group will assist in our continued efforts to reduce these selfish and unnecessary crimes.
“Together with the partnership we will endeavour to reduce the amount of fly-tipping that blights the beautiful landscapes of Rushcliffe and Nottinghamshire.”
The Cleaner Nottinghamshire Group is made up of all Nottinghamshire Local Authorities, Highways England, Nottinghamshire Police and Crime Commissioner and the Environment Agency
If you witness someone flytipping, leave the evidence where it is and make a note of any vehicle registrations and any other identifying evidence, and report it to the council at www.newark-sherwooddc.gov.uk/transactions/report/ or call 01636 650000 as soon as possible.
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