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Fly-tipping

Fly-tipping

Fly-tipping or the unauthorised dumping of waste is an environmental crime.

Every day in the Brentwood area there are on average 3 fly-tips. They are usually carried out in the quiet rural areas and can vary from 200+ tyres to a tipper-load of builders' rubble.

As well as being a blight on the environment it costs Brentwood ratepayers in excess of £50,000 per annum for collection and disposal. The Council is introducing fixed penalty notices in addition to our existing powers of prosecution to provide additional means of enforcement for less serious offences including litter and fly-tipping.

Fly-tippers, smile... you may be on camera!

Specialised cameras, which are capable of recording images at night to obtain evidence of illegal disposal of waste are now being used by Brentwood Borough Council to help to control areas which have been affected by fly-tipping.

Pay a flytipping fixed penalty notice

You can pay a fixed penalty notice by completing our form: 

Report a fly-tip

Environmental Agency Tel: 03708 506 506 (General Enquiries) or the larger fly-tip to Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.

Call us on 01277 312500 to report fly tips or complete our form:

What to do if you see someone fly-tipping

The most important rule to remember is not to approach anybody flytipping. The flytippers are carrying out an illegal act and may become violent.

Note the following:

  • Date and time (What time did the offence commence? How long did the fly-tip take?)
  • Location of the fly-tip.
  • Details of the fly-tippers (What they looked like. Did you recognise them?)
  • Description of the vehicle (Make, colour and registration)
  • What was your location when viewing the fly-tip? (How far away and could you see clearly)
  • What was dumped? (Do not touch the waste and do not remove any evidence)
  • How much was dumped?
  • What was the weather like? (Clear, cloudy, sunny or dark)
  • Anyone else with you?

Note as many of the details as you can and contact the Council or the Environment Agency.

Please supply the above details, even if you don't wish to act as a witness. If someone is found guilty of fly-tipping they could face imprisonment or a fine of up to £50,000.

Waste duty of care

Householders and businesses have a duty to take all reasonable measures to ensure that waste produced is only transferred to an authorised person. An authorised person includes the local authority that provides your normal waste collection service.

If you use a commercial waste collection service, you should check whether the business is an authorised carrier or exempt from registering as a waste carrier.

or call 03708 506 506 for a waste carrier validation check.

If you are arranging for a tradesman e.g. builder or gardener, to carry out work on your property, you have a responsibility for the waste produced as a result of the work. You should check:

  • The tradesman will dispose of the waste generated
  • That they have appropriate authorisation to dispose of the waste i.e. that they are registered to transport the waste.

If the person who takes your waste from you is not authorised to do so, or your waste is illegally disposed of (fly-tipped), you could be prosecuted and fined if you have not taken all reasonable measures to meet your duty of care obligations.

It's a crime not to care

Love Essex, a partnership of councils, businesses and environmental charity Keep Britain Tidy, running the #CrimeNotToCare campaign is ensuring residents do not unwittingly have items fly tipped.

Fly-tipping is the illegal dumping of waste – anything from fridges or washing machines, to black bin bags and boxes – and it’s a growing problem in Essex.

#CrimeNotToCare is helping ensure residents do the right thing with their rubbish and to reduce the amount of household waste that is fly-tipped by rogue traders who offer to take people’s waste away for money and then dump it.

Giving waste to a ‘man with a van’ who offers to get rid of it cheaply could end up proving costly for people and result in a criminal record.

Ensure you don’t fall foul of the law, visit recycleforessex.com/crimenottocare for advice.