What is a fly tip?
Fly-tipping is the illegal dumping of rubbish.
- A fly-tip is any refuse bag, bulky or loose material that has been dumped in a public space or left on land without the owner's permission
- Fly tips come from a number of sources and include domestic rubbish bags and household goods, small trade businesses tipping waste, large professional fly tippers carrying up to 40 tonnes or more of hard core waste
- Fly tipped items may include furniture and household accessories (fridges, freezers, cookers) building rubble, carpeting, shopping trolleys, hazardous waste and any other items of refuse
These items can pose a danger to the public, are unsightly and often attract even more waste, therefore need to be removed quickly. Breckland Council aims to collect fly tips within 24 hours of report.
The Law
Fly-tipping is a serious criminal offence and anyone, including householders, caught disposing of their waste unlawfully can be prosecuted under the Environmental Protection Act 1990. The maximum penalty is a fine of £50,000 and/or twelve months imprisonment. If a prosecution is taken to Crown Court the fines can be unlimited and/or imprisonment of up to five years and if hazardous waste is dumped, such as asbestos, a prison sentence of up to five years can be imposed. The Police also have the powers to seize vehicles used for fly-tipping.
Where to dispose of your rubbish
Bulky household waste such as fridges, cookers, sofas, beds, furniture etc can be disposed of free of charge at the following Recycling Centres:
- Ashill, between South Pickenham and Ashill on the B1077 Swaffham to Watton Road
- Thetford, Burrell Way, Thetford. Close to Sainsburys supermarket
- Snetterton, Snetterton Heath. Leave A11 at Snetterton race track, approx ¼ mile past race track entrance, on left hand side, just before sharp right hand bend.
- Hempton, Helhoughton Road, Fakenham. Take A1065 south out of Fakenham. HWRC is signed from the A1065 on the ‘S’ bend
If you are unable to take your bulky waste to a Recycling Centre, we offer a collection service - The Bulky Waste Collection Service is a chargeable service for the collection of larger household items. For further information click here.
How you can help
The Council spends considerable amounts of time and money removing fly-tipped rubbish and is seeking the help of the public to tackle this problem.
If you see somebody fly-tipping, what should you do?
Report it online!
If possible, please take a photograph of the waste and make a note of:
- The day, date and time you saw the tipping.
- What you saw:
- How many people were fly-tipping and what they looked like
- What they were actually doing
- Any vehicles involved – their make, colour and registration number
- Where were you when you saw the fly-tipping:
- What kind of view you had
- How far away you were
- Weather and light conditions
- What was tipped:
- How much?
- What it looked like
What should you do if you discover fly-tipped waste after the tippers have left?
- Do not touch the waste – Fly-tipped waste can be dangerous – it may contain syringes, broken glass, asbestos, toxic chemicals or other hazardous substances.
- Try to determine what the waste consists and how much there is,
- Take note of the exact location and the time you discovered the waste
- Do not disturb the site: there may be evidence that could help identify the culprits and lead to their prosecution.
- Write the details down as soon as possible and report to Street Scene on 01362 656878, alternatively complete our online form. You may be asked to help us make a written statement about what you saw.
REMEMBER – DON’T CONFRONT THE FLYTIPPERS AND PUT YOURSELF AT RISK!
What the Council will do with your report
We will inspect the dumped materials and arrange for removal. We try to clear rubbish within 24 hours of being told unless it needs specialist equipment or treatment, for example if it is asbestos or chemicals.
We will always try to trace the origin of the waste to identify who deposited it and when the waste was deposited. Fly tippers will be prosecuted if we can prove they have illegally dumped waste. These offenders can be required to pay full clean up costs to the council for removing the waste as well as receiving a fine of up to £50,000 and up to five years imprisonment. Fly tipping is now an arrestable offence and vehicles used in such offence can be seized by the council and other authorities.
If an area is continually used for fly tipping, we have sophisticated technology which allows us to carry out high-tech surveillance of such sites. This technology along with our dedicated enforcement officer, we hope will lead to excellent results in Court.
Breckland Council wants to stamp out fly tipping and will not hesitate in prosecuting individuals who do not dispose of their waste in a responsible manner.
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