Fly-tipping clampdown finds 80 businesses breaking the law

Croydon Council’s campaign against fly-tipping has caught more than 80 businesses breaking the law on waste disposal.

In the past three months, council enforcement officers carrying out inspection visits found 82 businesses operating without a valid waste transfer note or carrier’s licence, and told them to get one within 14 days or face a large fine.

Enforcement officers have carried out more than 1,000 such visits since summer 2014 as part of the council’s Don’t Mess With Croydon – Take Pride campaign, which targets fly-tippers and encourages community clear-ups.

By law, all businesses must dispose of their waste through holding either a valid Environment Agency licence or a waste transfer note. Any resident or business caught fly-tipping or using an unlicensed waste carrier faces unlimited fines and a possible court conviction.

Since the Don’t Mess campaign began, the council has issued more than 800 fixed-penalty notices and prosecuted in excess of 70 people. Over the Christmas period, the council seized four Ford Transit vans used to illegally carry rubbish, and, last May, it successfully prosecuted a man who was given a six-year jail term for fly-tipping 42 tonnes of waste in Waddon.

The council has also encouraged around 270 local residents to become community champions, and council employees and contractors have provided staff and equipment to help out in local clear-ups.

Councillor Stuart Collins, deputy leader – Clean Green Croydon

“Every new waste contract means less fly-tipping in our borough, which is why this part of our Don’t Mess campaign is important.

“This law is there to stop fly-tipping blighting our environment, so it doesn’t matter if you’re a handyman, a hairdresser or a hotelier – get a proper waste contract if you don’t already have one, or face the consequences.”

2016-02-18T10:10:39+00:00 February 18th, 2016|Recent news|