THERE have been almost 2,000 incidents of fly-tipping across Bromsgrove District in the last 12 months, according the council’s latest figures.
The revelation comes as Bromsgrove District Council backs calls from the Country Land and Business Association (CLA) for tougher penalties for those who dump rubbish in the countryside.
The fly-tips across the district have ranged in size from a single black bag to entire truck loads.
The authority was reacting to shocking statistics released by the CLA which revealed a third of people felt it was acceptable to fly-tip.
According to the research commissioned by Keep Britain Tidy, 36 per cent said it was acceptable to get rid of an unwanted sofa or mattress in a way classed as fly-tipping. Also, 42 per cent did not know they were legally responsible if their waste is fly-tipped by a third party.
Currently, the maximum fine for fly-tipping in Magistrates’ court is £50,000 or 12 months in prison, but 95 per cent of the fines issued are less than £1,000.
A Bromsgrove District Council spokesperson said: “This puts a huge burden on resources at a time when local authorities are facing increasing financial pressure.”
She added the council investigated all information it had in a bid to get a prosecution and worked closely with the police and the Environment Agency to identify those responsible and bring them to justice.
“But due to the nature of fly tipping in quiet rural areas, it is difficult to catch people in the act.
“We would welcome anything that helps deter those responsible, and will continue to support education as well as enforcement to tackle this problem through all the means available to us,” she said.
CLA Midlands regional director Caroline Bedell said it was time to use the full force of the law to punish fly-tippers whether it was in the countryside or private land.
“An example should be made of offenders so that others can see that it is not worth dumping rubbish illegally.
“Ignorance of the law should be no excuse.”
She claimed, at present, the fines were ‘totally inadequate’ and, although the maximum penalties were a £50,000 fine or 12-months behind bars, those sentences were never used.
“If they were, it may well put people off.
“One man who dumped three loads of building waste was fined just £600 – it cost our member more than that to remove it from his land and dispose of it.”
She said new regulations brought in last year allowing vehicles to be seized for offences, including fly-tipping, needed to be used more to send out the message this anti-social behaviour would not be tolerated.
“There is no deterrent if the fines imposed are going to cost criminals less than disposing of the rubbish legally.”
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