Countryside Alliance - love the countryside

 
 
SEE IT!  REPORT IT!  SCRAP IT!

How to report fly-tipping

If you see an incident of fly-tipping, then call the 24 hour national hotline on: 0800 807 060
 
What to do if you come across fly-tipping

Before you take action, make sure it’s safe to do so. Be extremely careful. Some wastes can be hazardous. Do not open bags or drums. Piles of soil may be contaminated or they may be hiding dangerous material. Remember that fly-tippers are doing something illegal – they are unlikely to welcome people observing them or taking notes or photographs.

In order to help authorities crack down on fly-tipping and prevent it in the future it is important to record as many details about the incident as possible. Below is a guide to the types of information to record.

What to record

1. Today’s date

2. Did you just discover the waste or actually see it being fly-tipped?

3. Day, date and time that you discovered the waste or saw it being fly-tipped.

4. Location e.g. place, landmark, street, town, grid reference.

5. A description of the waste e.g. bag, drum, fridge, tyres, building waste.

6. The quantity or volume of waste e.g. number of bags, a van load, multiple loads.

If you saw the waste being fly-tipped

7. Who was with you?
8. Who did you see?
(a) How many people did you see fly-tipping and what did they look like?
(b) Did you recognise any of them?
(c) Can you describe them e.g. gender, hair colour, distinguishing features?

9. What did these people actually do?

10. Was there a vehicle involved? If so:
(a) What did it look like?
(b) What was its make, model and colour?
(c) What was its registration number?
(d) Were there any distinguishing features or signs on the vehicle?

11. Where you were when you saw the fly tipping?
(a) What kind of view did you have?
(b) How far away were you?
(c) What was the weather like?
(d) Was it light or dark?

Who to report incidents to

Dependent on the type and size of the fly-tipped waste you can report incidents to either your local authority directly or to the Environment Agency in England and Wales or the Scottish Environment Protection Agency.

Local authorities and the Environment Agency have an agreement, known as the Fly-tipping Protocol that sets out which incidents each will respond to. However, generally local authorities are responsible for dealing with most types of small-scale fly-tipping, with the Environment Agency deals with bigger incidents (generally those involving more than a tipper load of waste), or incidents involving organised crime and certain hazardous wastes which have a greater potential to damage the environment.

To find your local authority follow this link

To contact the environment agency for large scale potentially hazardous incidents call: 0800 807060

You can also report incidents to your local police. Fly-tipping is a crime. For local police contact details follow this link

Contacts for Scotland

Different arrangements are in place in Scotland. You can report incidents by phone or online.
Dumb Dumpers Stop Line: 0845 2 30 40 90
Website

How to deal with waste dumped on private land

Unfortunately if a private land owner becomes a victim of fly-tipping they have to bear the cost of clearing the mess and safely disposing of it. Some local authorities have successful informal agreements with landowners agreeing to ‘meet halfway’ when disposing of fly-tipped rubbish on private land. While local authorities are under no statutory obligation to cover any of the costs of clear up it is worth exploring this option before undertaking a clear up. Make sure you take photographs of the waste as you found it and talk to your neighbours to see if they saw anyone or anything suspicious.

You will then need to decide how to deal with the waste that has been dumped on your land and make sure the waste cannot escape or be interfered with. You may need to erect a temporary fence or bund. As well as protecting people and the environment until the waste can be removed, this will ensure that the evidence is left intact for any investigation.
You are responsible for ensuring the waste is disposed of correctly. When you arrange for it to be removed, check that your contractor is operating legally. Call the Environment Agency on 08708 506506 and ask for a waste carrier registration check, do not use a waste disposal contractors who does not hold a valid Waste Carrier Licence – you could be subject to a £5000 fine if you do.

Tips to prevent fly-tipping

There is evidence to suggest that fencing off open areas of land by roads, moving gates closer to roads and building shallow dykes can help prevent fly-tipping. While these costs have to be covered by the land owner, it is worth exploring whether local authorities have funding available in their Crime and Disorder Partnerships to deal with the crime of fly-tipping.

For more information on how to prevent fly-tipping follow this link