Rubbish dumped in country lane leads to fine

Published Tuesday 30 November 2021

A man, who failed to check if the person removing rubbish from his home was licensed to do so, has been fined after it was dumped in a country lane.

Fly tip in Station Road in Great Glen

The man, in his 30s and from Leicester, paid a ‘man in a van’ to take rubbish from his home, but didn’t check if he had a valid waste carrier’s licence.

When the household renovation waste was later dumped in Station Road, Great Glen (pictured), on 1 July 2021, Harborough District Council’s enviro-crime team traced the rubbish back to the Leicester resident who received a £400 fixed penalty notice.

Householders and businesses are legally responsible for any waste produced on their property. They have a ‘duty of care’ to check that any person or business disposing of their waste is legally allowed to do so by asking to see their waste carriers licence or checking if they have one on the Environment Agency’s website.

Cllr Jonathan Bateman, Harborough District Council’s Cabinet lead for environment and waste, said: “This is a stark reminder that people should always check that anyone who is taking rubbish from their premises is allowed to do so, whether you are paying them or not. Great work once again from our enviro-crime team for another successful result, and helping make our district cleaner and greener.”

There are several ways to dispose of the waste that cannot go into wheeled bins:

  • Take large waste items to your local recycling and waste site (tip)
  • Use a licensed waste carrier to remove your waste - it is a legal requirement to use a licensed waste carrier (you can also check if someone has a licence on the Environment Agency website)
  • The Council’s large waste items for collection service allows for up to three large household items or 12 sacks of waste to be collected for a charge of £35.04

Find out more at www.harborough.gov.uk/tip-off