Northumberland County Council is stepping up its fight against fly tipping in the county to deter the dumping of waste and bring those responsible to account. 

It is pledging to come down hard on the small minority who are caught committing this environmental and anti-social crime. 

Over the past year the county council has been working proactively with community partners. It has increased CCTV coverage to identify perpetrators and fines for those caught will be increasing to hit offenders in the pocket. 

It’s also invested in 40 new bin compounds for the Hirst area of Ashington to make it easier for residents to store waste, improve access to recycling services and help reduce litter.   

Council cleansing staff have been trained on how to gather evidence from fly tipped waste to support increased enforcement activity.  

The council has also been working closely with Ashington and Blyth Town Councils to improve the overall standard of the environment in these areas and has carried out leaflet drops in hot spot areas informing residents how and where to dispose of their larger unwanted items. 

Northumberland County Councillor Gordon Stewart, cabinet member with responsibility for Looking After Our Communities said: 

 

“Although rates in Northumberland are one of the lowest in the region there are still a couple of tipping hotspots identified and as a council, we are absolutely determined to win this battle and ensure our beautiful county remains unspoilt.” 
 

The council is calling on the wider public to help play its part by not making the mistake of employing a rogue trader to remove their waste.  

Residents are being warned not to fall for a growing criminal scam in which they pay, in good faith, to have their bulky waste taken away by people posing as legitimate waste collectors, but who then, to avoid costs, go on to fly tip the very material they were being paid to pick up. 
 

Northumberland County Councillor Gordon Stewart, cabinet member with responsibility for Looking After Our Communities added: 

 

“Our message is loud and clear – if you have lots of rubbish to remove, make sure the waste carrier you employ has a license and do not trust a ‘white van man’ offering to get rid of your rubbish on the cheap. There is a high chance it could go on to be dumped in our beautiful countryside.   

 

“We are appealing to the public to be particularly wary of businesses that only operate through social media and do not seem to have a landline phone number or business address.  They should also be wary of anyone coming to their door offering to take away rubbish cheaply.” 

 

The obligation to ensure that waste is disposed of lawfully falls on whoever produces the waste. As the householder, if you use an unlicensed waste carrier who illegally dumps your waste, both you and the carrier are liable to receive a fixed penalty charge and even face prosecution. 

 

To check a waste carrier is legitimate and licensed visit the Environment Agency's waste carrier register nland.cc/waste and enter the business name or, search for licensed waste operators near you on the public registers' pages of the website. 
 

The county council also offers a bulky waste collection service and has Household Waste Recovery Centres right across the county where the majority of waste can be dropped off for free. For more information go to northumberland.gov.uk/waste 

 

Fly-tipping is an illegal activity and should be reported to the council.
 

Issues can be reported simply by going to nland.cc/fix on a mobile phone, computer, tablet or the council’s website or by ringing the Environment Agency on 03708 506506