Council announces new powers and fines to combat fly tipping

Causeway Coast and Glens Borough Council has recently adopted new measures to address the problem of fly tipping in the Borough and will also increase penalties for offenders.

Under these new powers, anyone caught fly tipping can receive a Fixed Penalty Notice of £400. Additionally, those convicted in court of fly tipping face a maximum fine of £50,000 and/or imprisonment for a term not exceeding 6 months.

The newly adopted regulations will introduce a “duty of care” for householders. The Council has said If you pay a third party to collect and dispose of household rubbish, you must ensure that the person or business is licensed to carry and dispose of waste.

This means that if you arrange for someone else to remove and dispose of waste from your home, you need to verify they are a registered waste carrier and authorised to do so.

The Council has warned that failure to meet this duty of care is an offence and can result in a Fixed Penalty Notice of £300 or upon conviction, a fine not exceeding £5,000.

Causeway Coast and Glens Borough Council Mayor Councillor Ciaran McQuillan said: “I welcome the new powers adopted by Council to tackle the serious and ongoing issue of fly tipping within our Borough.

“Fly tipping is unsightly, can present a risk to health, cause pollution of our waterways and often means Council must bear the cost of removing and clearing dumped material. I would urge all householders to ensure that if they pay a third party to remove their rubbish, they also ensure that the business has the appropriate registration.

“I would remind residents that the Council offers a bulky household waste collection service and operates Household Recycling Centres across the Borough, so there really is no need for any waste to be fly tipped.”

Council has said it will take a zero-tolerance approach to anyone caught fly tipping or using an unregistered waste carrier.

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