A leading councillor has warned that Telford faces major problems in fly-tipping, not helped by the borough council’s controversial decision to charge for the removal of bulky objects, such as old furniture and “white goods” like fridges and freezers.
Last year, it cost more than £200,000 of tax payers’ money to clear up the mess resulting from fly-tipping in Telford and Wrekin. The council was called to remove rubbish in almost 4,000 incidents of fly tipping between April last year and this April.
The number was down by 1,000 on the previous financial year but fly-tipping continues to be a major headache in Telford and Councillor Gary Davies, borough councillor for Wellington, says the council’s decision to charge £15 per collection for the removal of bulky items is only adding to the problem.
Councillor Davies said he discovered the “biggest pile of fly-tipped rubbish he has ever seen” in his ward in March, and just the other week came across four black bin bags of rubbish dumped between The Parade car park and New Street.
Councillor Steve Bentley, cabinet member for the environment, said: “Last year, Telford & Wrekin Council removed 3,879 fly tips in the borough. This was 1,000 fewer reported fly tips than the year before and 3,000 fewer than 2005/06.
“Our contract with Telford & Wrekin Services - which remove fly tips for the council - makes it hard to calculate a precise figure for removing fly tips.
“However using a national cost calculated by Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, we estimate that the cost was more than £211,000 last year alone.
“This is equivalent to each household in the borough paying £3 a year just to clear up fly-tips, all because a small minority think it’s acceptable to dispose of rubbish this way and leave others to pick up the cost.”
Councillor Bentley said the level of fly tipping in the borough was falling as the council worked to target the problem.
However, Councillor Davies argues that as figures were based on last year - before the bulky collection charges were introduced - fly-tipping is likely to increase in the coming year.
“It’s good to see a reduction in the number of fly-tipping incidents as quoted by the borough council but those figures are from before the charges started on April 1.
“We are now three months into this scheme and it will be interesting to see the figures for this coming year,” he said.
“I voted against the £15 collection charge and I still maintain that fly-tipping will no doubt increase because of it.”
Nigel Newman, spokesman for Telford & Wrekin Council, said: “Fly-tipping is a criminal offence under environmental protection laws.
“Fly-tipping cases heard in magistrates court can result in up to a year’s custody or fines of £50,000. If heard at crown court, this can result in up to 5 years in prison or an unlimited fine.”
The council has powers to invite offenders for interviews and can prosecute where appropriate. For smaller scale fly tipping, the council can opt to issue fixed penalty notices for littering.
Prosecution requires evidence and the council relies on witnesses coming forward with information by calling (01952) 384384.
