Offenders who blight north Oxfordshire with waste are being hit in the pocket as the council addresses an uptick in littering and fly-tipping.
Published: Friday, 25th October 2024
Cherwell District Council is reminding anyone tempted to dump their waste illegally that they can be fined for offences large or small.
In recent months, fixed penalty notices from £250 to £500 have been issued for littering, and two people have been fined £1,000 for larger fly-tips.
A £300 fine has also been issued to a company for failing to provide a waste transfer note, a legal requirement for commercial waste.
Councillor Rob Parkinson, Portfolio Holder for Safer Communities, said: “We all have a right to enjoy the settlements and countryside we call home. Fly-tipping and littering damage our environment and spoil things for us all.
“Most of us take pride in our neighbourhoods and dispose of our rubbish properly. But our good efforts are undermined by an irresponsible minority who dump their waste on roadside verges, down alleyways, and at recycling banks. The rubbish is expensive to clean up and these are costs that we all share.
“Our enforcement team always looks for evidence to identify the offenders, and our recent cases show they cannot count on getting away with it.”
Illegal waste disposal is an offence punishable by fixed penalty notices or prosecution in a magistrates’ or crown court.
A range of legal waste disposal options is available to residents and businesses in north Oxfordshire. They include the council’s bulky waste collection service, starting at £10.99 per item.
People can hire supersized wheelie bins from Cherwell to help with major clear-outs. They also can visit Oxfordshire County Council’s two household waste recycling centres in the district or use a licensed commercial waste service.
If paying someone to remove waste, people should ensure that the person is licensed. To check, they can search the public register of waste carriers on the Environment Agency website.
Cherwell also provides business waste services. As part of this, businesses are provided with waste transfer notes to help them comply with the law.
Anyone with information about a fly-tip in the district should contact the council on 01295 227007.
For more information about waste services in the district, visit www.cherwell.gov.uk/recycling