Rushcliffe Borough Council is promising even more focus on tackling the nuisance of fly-tipping, waste offences, littering and dog fouling in 2021, thanks to a new partnership.
The authority has revealed it’s teamed up with Waste Investigations Support & Enforcement (WISE) for a one-year trial to build on its existing tools to find and, where necessary, prosecute those who flout the rules. WISE is a specialist supplier of environmental crime services to councils across the UK.
Since Tuesday (January 5th) the new Enforcement Officers have had the powers to issue fixed penalty notices to anyone found contravening the rules, which includes businesses or members of the public.
It’s already reported issuing 14 fixed penalty notices for littering across Rushcliffe in its first few days, four fines for fly-tipping, a further 18 fly-tipping complaints investigated and over 20 businesses checked for their commercial waste arrangements.
The environmental enforcement service will operate across the Borough and will see them look to clamp down on dumped domestic and commercial waste seven days a week and investigate where the waste has come from. They will be targeting those who don’t dispose of their waste in a responsible way, or hand it over to non-registered waste carriers or create eyesores through dropping litter or failing to pick up after their dog’s waste.
RUDDINGTON.info has reported frequently on fly-tipping in and around our village – with some of the more recent incidents pictured below:
Now, anyone caught fly-tipping can be issued with a £400 Fixed Penalty Notice or, if they are observed littering or failing to pick up after their dog’s waste, will be issued with an on the spot £100 fine. Failure to pay a Fixed Penalty Notice may result in prosecution being brought and a much higher fine being imposed by the Court, as well as a potential criminal record.
Rushcliffe Borough Council’s Cabinet Portfolio Holder for Neighbourhoods, Councillor Rob Inglis, says: “Fly-tipping, littering and dog mess is a real frustration for residents. At the heart of this issue is a need to tackle that minority of people who still believe it is okay to just dump their rubbish wherever they fancy. Dumping waste is anti-social behaviour and impacts on our environment. There is never an excuse to mess up our Borough in this way.”
He adds: “Working with WISE, their dedicated environmental crime officers will now be out there seven days a week issuing on the spot fines to those who are caught in the act or being traced back to them when items are found tipped.”
If you see someone committing a fly-tipping offence in Ruddington, or need to notify Rushcliffe Borough Council about fly-tipping, you can report it online >>HERE<< or call them on 0115 981 9911.
{Top photo: Paviter Singh-Mann from WISE, Cllr Rex Walker, Cllr Rob Inglis and John Dunne, WISE Managing Director, launching the new partnership}
