Wiltshire Council’s fly-tipping crackdown continues after multiple residents issued with fines

Wiltshire Council’s continued enforcement efforts on fly-tipping have seen more residents issued with fixed penalty notices in recent weeks.

An Amesbury resident has been issued with a £1,000 FPN after fly-tipped waste found at the Beehive Park and Ride site was traced back to his address. 

After several large bags of household waste were found at the site between Amesbury and Salisbury, the council’s Environmental Enforcement Officers investigated and found takeaway packaging and other receipts that were all addressed to a person and linked to an address in Amesbury.  

When spoken to, the addressee advised that he had recently moved out of the address following a disagreement with another person living there. Further investigation by the officers placed the second person at the Beehive site at the time of the fly-tipping incident, and so he was issued with a £1,000 FPN. 

Any waste resulting from the clearance of premises after they have been vacated, such as a landlord or letting agent clearing student housing, is considered to be commercial waste, and must be disposed of in the correct and lawful manner.

A Salisbury resident was also issued with a FPN after evidence was found linking her to fly-tipped waste found at an isolated location at Burcombe Lane in Wilton. 

When interviewed by officers, she stated that she had been on her way to a household recycling centre when the bags of waste had fallen over in her car. After stopping in Burcombe Lane to rearrange the bags, she took them out and claimed to have forgotten to put them all back in the car. She was issued with a £1,000 FPN for fly-tipping. 

As FPNs are not a conviction in court, the residents involved cannot be named. 

Cllr Nick Holder, Cabinet Member for Highways, Street Scene and Flooding, said: “We are determined to keep working to stamp out fly-tipping in Wiltshire and maintain our beautiful scenic landscapes. Our message is clear, We’re Targeting Fly-tippers and if you dump your waste illegally, you will be caught and prosecuted.  

“Anyone caught fly-tipping can be ordered to pay a £1,000 fixed penalty notice or be taken to court, where they could face an unlimited fine or imprisonment. 

“If anyone spots a fly-tip in the county, or someone disposing of their waste illegally, I’d urge them to report it to us using MyWilts. Our officers will investigate and take action and they could receive a reward of up to £200 in gift vouchers if the information they provide leads to a prosecution, or a fixed penalty being paid.” 

To find out more about how the council is tackling fly-tipping in Wiltshire and how to report fly-tipping, people should visit: https://www.wiltshire.gov.uk/fly-tipping.