East Lothian Council has announced a ‘zero tolerance’ policy on fly-tipping following the introduction of new measures to help catch offenders.
A recent rise in fly-tipping has been recorded, with 226 incidents reported between April and June last year compared to 162 in the previous three months.
But the increase has coincided with the development of additional tools to track down culprits who are breaking the law.
Now the Council is issuing a stark warning to both unscrupulous traders and residents that the most severe punishments will be pursued.
Council officers are authorised to serve Fixed Penalty Notices on those who engage in fly-tipping. The current financial penalty is £500 and there is no right of appeal. Failure to pay the penalty within 14 days will result in a report being submitted to the Procurator Fiscal.
If the case goes to court and someone is convicted of fly-tipping, they can face a fine of up to £40,000 and imprisonment for up to 12 months.
A new reporting service is operating in East Lothian to better record and map where incidents of fly-tipping occur.
Councillor Colin McGinn, East Lothian Cabinet Secretary for Community Wellbeing, said: “Fly-tipping is a crime and there is no excuse for it. While we can’t disclose some of the investigatory techniques and resources now available to members of our Community Protection Team, Council staff are better placed than ever before to catch the people behind this disgusting and thoughtless behaviour.
“Fly-tippers demonstrate no regard for the damage caused to the environment, the costs incurred which put pressure on public services, and the risk to public safety. That’s why we are warning people that the Council will take a zero tolerance approach. Anyone who is caught engaging in this antisocial offending will face punishment.”
An additional £85,000 had to be allocated in this year’s Council budget to meet the costs associated with disposing of waste being dumped by fly-tippers in the county.
Rogue traders
A number of high-profile fly-tipping incidents have taken place in recent months, including the dumping of rubbish outside the main gate of Amisfield Walled Garden, near Haddington, in December. Charity volunteers at the 18th century garden were dismayed after wooden doors, shower screens, paint cans and plastic containers were left blighting the entranceway.
The majority of the materials dumped by fly-tippers are bulky waste including large household items.
Cllr McGinn added: “Traders who dump waste illegally are profiting at the expense of hard-working and legitimate businesses. They undercut other firms by not paying to deposit waste at approved disposal sites and therefore compete unfairly.
“Please check if you are planning any house or garden refurbishments that the contractor uses a licensed waste carrier.
“Householders should also be aware that they will be held responsible if they employ tradespeople and waste for their property is illegally dumped. That’s another reason why identifying these rogue traders will benefit the whole community and I would encourage anyone with information on fly-tipping to report it to us.”
Fly-tippers can be reported on the East Lothian Council website.