Published on
23 June 2023
Rubbish day for rogue waste firms hit with fines
Fines totalling almost £3,000 have been issued to unlicensed waste carriers as part of a crackdown on fly-tipping
Fines totalling almost £3,000 have been issued to unlicensed waste carriers as part of a crackdown on fly-tipping and other commercial vehicle offences in Wokingham Borough.
The council's safety and enforcement team worked with Thames Valley Police and the Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency to conduct an unannounced "stop check" operation at the Pinewood Centre near Crowthorne on 15 June.
They pulled over 78 vans, lorries and other vehicles and found several had either failed in their legal duty of care when carrying waste or were being driven in a dangerous and unroadworthy condition.
This joint operation supported the council's ongoing efforts to stop fly-tipping, which includes investigating incidents for evidence to support fines or prosecution, the use of mobile CCTV and increased publicity around the penalties for dumping waste illegally.
Are they licensed? It's your job to check
Nine fixed penalty notices of £300 were issued to carriers who were transporting waste without a licence from the Environment Agency, which residents are advised to check before hiring a contractor or they could also be held liable for a fly-tip.
Thirteen vehicles received prohibition notices for faults like being overloaded, having defective tyres and, in one instance, a leaking fuel tank while two vehicles were found to have no MOT and one driver had no insurance.
Cllr Ian Shenton, executive member for environment, sport and leisure, said: "The shocking fact that we found nine vehicles carrying waste without a licence in just a few hours should remind our residents and businesses to be very careful who they're hiring.
"Everyone has a duty of care, and if we find out you employed someone who later fly-tipped then you'll be held equally responsible and penalised alongside them. It's quick and easy to check, so it's not worth the risk of neglecting to do this."
Help us keep the borough green and tidy
For more information about fly-tipping in Wokingham Borough, including a link to the Environment Agency's register of licensed waste carriers, visit the council's fly-tipping pages.
Anyone considering hiring someone is strongly advised to ask for their permit number and confirm it is listed before proceeding, as they could be breaking the law and risk a fixed penalty notice if their waste isn't managed properly.
Residents are also reminded that leaving waste outside charity shops when they are closed, or dumping household waste in or near street litter bins, is also fly-tipping and the council has recently issued penalties for this.
The council regularly shares information about local fly-tips on its social media channels and anyone with information about these, or companies operating illegally, should email the council's enforcement team.
An ongoing effort to drive fly-tippers out
Cllr Shenton added: “We know fly-tipping is a concern, particularly in areas where it happens more regularly, so please be assured that we’ll continue to clamp down on environmental crimes by working closely with partner agencies where necessary.
“We’ve seen a modest but promising reduction in the number of reported fly-tips in the borough over the past year, and we intend to keep building on that to ensure we protect people’s quality of life and keep our communities clean and green.”
