Fly-tip fines to rise 1,000% in council crackdown

Fines for fly-tipping offences will have increased by more than 1,000% in six months as part of a "final straw" council crackdown.

In April, Epping Forest District Council raised the maximum penalty from £450 to £1,000, and it has now voted to bump that figure up again, to £5,000.

By comparison, other districts in Essex such as Chelmsford, Colchester and Southend issue maximum fines of £1,000.

Lambourne councillor Kaz Rizvi, who proposed the motion, told a recent meeting that two lorry loads of asbestos-containing waste had blocked access to Chigwell Primary Academy in August, and that this was "the final straw".

Darshan Sunger, the Conservative-run council's portfolio holder for environment, told BBC Essex presenter Sonia Watson: "That's toxic, dangerous material left at the doors of a place where young children learn every day.

"It damages our countryside, puts people at risk, and local taxpayers pay to clear it up."

In May last year, Essex Police was called to a dangerous fly-tip in Epping that had blocked a blind bend on a country lane during the night.

In January, staff said they were "devastated" to find one of the "largest fly-tips ever" dumped in the heart their of Epping Forest.

The authority has also increased littering fines for the second time this year.

They rose from £150 to £450 in the spring, then to £750 with the latest changes.

People incur the full fine if the waste is traced back to their household and it is deemed that "reasonable steps" were not taken to ensure the contractor's credibility.

Nicola Tansley, from the community protection team at Chelmsford City Council, said the public needed to take care over who they handed their money to.

"There are so many people you'll see on Facebook asking for quick cheap waste clearances and people will just jump on it," she said.

"AI adverts are looking so professional and people just aren't asking the right questions, unfortunately. They just want their waste gone quickly."

Serious cases can go to court if the fly-tips are large, contain hazardous materials or occur as part of organised crime.

Depending on how far things escalate, offenders can receive a prison sentence and an unlimited fine.

Cath Crowther from the Country Land and Business Association said Essex was "a particular hotspot" for fly-tippers because of the main roads coming in and out of London.

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