Council cracks down on fly-tipping in Horsham District

Horsham District Council are clamping down on the activities of fly-tippers, having successfully issued three substantial fines recently.

Two of the three Fixed Penalty Notice fines were issued to individuals for failing their duty of care to ensure that contractors employed by them had a valid Waste Carrier Licence.

Fines of £400 were issued, these were reduced to £250 for early payment.

These fines highlight that it is the personal responsibility of householders using tradespeople and waste removers to check that they have a valid Waste Carrier Licence. If tradespeople without a Licence then illegally fly-tip their waste, it is the householder who is liable to be prosecuted.

A third fine of £400 was issued to a resident who fly-tipped their rubbish on public land.

Horsham District Council Cabinet Member for Environment, Waste, Recycling and Cleansing Cllr Philip Circus commented:

Fly-tipping can be a real problem for our communities and costs the council tax payer significant amounts of money to clear-up and investigate.

We’re working hard to catch fly-tippers. But everyone has a responsibility to check that anyone disposing of their waste will behave responsibly.   So people need to find out if they are dealing with somebody who has a Waste Carrier Licence or they themselves, as well as the fly-tipper, could be prosecuted by the Council. By checking for a valid licence they are also protecting themselves from rogue traders and fly-tippers.

There are many reputable, licenced carriers in the District. Please always check that whoever is working for you has a valid Licence so you don’t get caught out.

• To check whether a person is a registered waste carrier, or to find a legitimate one, visit the Environment Agency website
• Alternatively, you can also download the free Clear Waste app
• For more information about fly-tipping, how to report it, or ways to dispose of your waste legally please visit our Report page
• If you have any concerns about waste carriers or fly tipping, please contact the Council’s Waste and Recycling team on www.horsham.gov.uk/bins/reportit or call them on 01403 733144.

For more information about Waste Carrier Licences go to our Check a waste carrier licence webpage.