Fly tipping is not only a blight on our landscape but costs Havering council tax payers around £750,000 per year to deal with. The most recent example of this foul practice was uncovered at Parklands, Upminster, where two lorry loads of waste were dumped in the early hours of Wednesday 28^th October. Clearing this up will cost the council in the region of £5,000.

Tackling fly tipping is a constant problem but more could be done on a national scale to give councils the powers and tools to crack down on this menace. Fixed penalties for littering of £80 are not enough, there needs to be fixed penalties for the specific offence of fly tipping of £1,000 which will act as a more meaningful deterrent.

However, the solution is not just about enforcement but through education, awareness and social responsibility by way of joined up partnership working with the likes of Network Rail, the Countryside Commission, Landowner Associations, media outlets, schools and government agencies.

The combination of enforcement, meaningful penalties and an effective multi-agency strategy will not only tackle the scourge of fly-tipping but reduce the thousands of pounds it currently costs council tax payers.

If you have any information about this fly-tip or any others, please report it to the Council online via: www.havering.gov.uk/flytipping, or by calling Havering Council on 01708 432563 or the Police on 101.

 

By Editor UCRA on 31st October 2015   /   News   /   Leave a comment