Sefton Council is continuing to crack down on fly-tipping as part of its work to keep streets clean and tidy.
The Council has issued seven Fixed Penalty Notices (FPNs) for fly-tipping and duty of care environmental offences in the last few weeks, as well as securing a successful prosecution. The total penalty issued for all offences was over £4,000.
One of the financial penalties or “fines” issued was a £750 FPN, after waste was dumped illegally in an alleyway on Lunt Road in Bootle.
The Environmental Enforcement Team, which has recently doubled in size, is out across the borough every day, following up on reports from residents and investigating when waste is dumped illegally.
A Litherland man was convicted after fly-tipping rubbish in the street.
He was taken to court after Council officers traced the waste back to him.
Officers visited the scene after receiving complaints from local residents. During the investigation, officers found five pieces of evidence linking the rubbish directly to him.
He pleaded guilty in court and was ordered to pay £822 for dumping the waste. He admitted dumping waste including old furniture and several black bin bags full of rubbish.
Fly-tippers convicted in court have to declare their wrongdoing to future employers.
Peter Harvey, Cabinet Member for Cleansing and Street Scene said:
“This prosecution highlights the no-nonsense approach taken by our Environmental Enforcement Team, as well as the vital role our residents play in helping us tackle fly-tipping.
“If you dump rubbish in Sefton, you risk being hit with a penalty or even court action. This is the price offenders will pay for damaging our environment and our community. We have just hiked our maximum penalty for fly-tipping to £1,000 from £400.
“This forms part of our wider commitment to making Sefton cleaner and greener, working hand in hand with our residents.
“Fly-tipping is selfish, disgusting, completely unacceptable, and our enforcement officers will always pursue those responsible. They will use the full extent of their powers, working closely with the courts and the Environmental Agency to bring offenders to justice.
“We know our residents support the work we’re doing to clean up our borough, and they equally support our determination to hold offenders to account.
“For fly-tippers, we will usually issue an FPN, commonly known to the public as a fine, because it is quicker and cheaper and allows the culprit to avoid court action and the possibility of a criminal record if they do not already have one.
“However, if an offender denies wrongdoing or fails to pay up we will pursue the matter through the courts, as this latest case demonstrates.
Too often rogue operators lure people in with cheap deals on social media, only to illegally dump household waste on streets, fields and public spaces.
Households can take three simple steps to avoid a #RubbishDeal:
- Ask for a waste carrier registration number
- Check it on the Environment Agency’s public register at https://environment.data.gov.uk/public-register/view/search-waste-carriers-brokers or call 0300 065 3000
- Check you’ll get a receipt
Residents are urged to continue to report fly-tipping at www.sefton.gov.uk/bins.
Further details, including outcomes and any more penalties imposed, will be published following the conclusion of any further court cases.
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