Herefordshire Council has successfully secured £20,000 of grant money, funded by the West Mercia Police and Crime Commissioner (PCC) John Campion
The funding will kick-start a fly-tipping prevention and awareness campaign which will be driven by Herefordshire’s Council’s Community Protection Team and will seek to reduce fly tipping, increase enforcement and improve outcomes for victims, aligning with the PCC’s Safer West Mercia Plan.
As part of this plan and in order to prevent crime, undercover surveillance cameras have been sourced using the grant money and are now in place at hot spot areas across Herefordshire.
Residents can also expect to see an increase in signage reminding fly tippers that they are being watched. Furthermore, adverts will be visible on bin Lorries and targeted advertising will be in place on social media.
As well as the PCC’s aim to build a more secure West Mercia, working with Herefordshire Council the campaign builds on their zero tolerance approach to anyone caught fly-tipping and at a time where recent prosecutions by Herefordshire Council saw their longest ever prison sentences.
Councillor Barry Durkin Cabinet Member for Roads and Regulatory Services, said: “Recent figures show a 6% increase in fly tipping across the region. Generally speaking, around half of such incidents occur on council land, and around 30% on the public highway. Our enforcement team will take action against any resident or business who illegally disposes of their waste or fails to ensure that their waste is collected by a registered waste carrier.
“We are urging people to be wary of illegal ‘waste clearing’ or ‘man with a van’ services, many of which are advertised on social media. Many people do not realise that giving your waste to an unlicensed carrier is an offence, and the waste they are paid to remove is often dumped at illegal sites, costing thousands of pounds to clear. Only use licensed waste carriers or you may be prosecuted.
“Figures also show that only a fraction of fly tipping incidents on private property are reported. Not only is this hazardous and damaging to the environment, it has allowed those responsible to evade justice and continue dumping waste elsewhere. Please always report suspected incidents of fly tipping.”
Police and Crime Commissioner John Campion said: “Residents have told me time and time again that fly-tipping is blighting their communities and I whole heartedly agree. It is costly on our landowners, a nuisance for the community and is hazardous on our natural environment.
“I am pleased to be funding this initiative which will reduce fly-tipping, increase enforcement and improve outcomes for victims – supporting my Safer West Mercia Plan, to build a more secure West Mercia.
“It is through this partnership, and by communities working together, that we can tackle fly-tipping in Herefordshire.”
For more information, and to report a fly tipping incident, please visit our website.