The annual cost of clearing up fly tipping in South Northamptonshire has risen to £28,154.

Residents in South Northamptonshire (SNC) are being urged to avoid rogue traders to get rid of their waste and rubbish, as although the number of fly tipping incidents has fallen in the last year, the clear up cost have actually risen by £3,505.
Cllr Dermot Bambridge, SNC councillor for environmental services said: “Costs do fluctuate according to the nature of the waste dumped so these figures are no great surprise.

“But by avoiding paying a few pounds to dispose of waste legally, this year fly-tipping has not only cost council tax payers over £28,000 and created an eyesore, but also risked the perpetrator being fined up to £50,000 or even a jail sentence.

“And it is not only the person who dumped the waste that risks a legal action. If traced, the person who has given someone without a carrier’s licence waste to dispose of will also be prosecuted.”

Householders also have a duty of care concerning the waste they produce and must ensure the person who takes away their waste has a waste carriers’ licence.

It’s recommended that you obtain a receipt and a waste transfer note detailing the nature of the waste, who took it away and details of the vehicle they used.

At magistrates’ court penalties for fly tipping can be high – up to 12 months imprisonment, and/ or a fine of up to £50,000.

However if the incident is so severe it is sent to crown court, imprisonment increases to a maximum of five years and the fine becomes unlimited.

To report an incident of fly tipping visit www.southnorthants.gov.uk/flytipping .