Grime crime offenders stung with fines totalling nearly £14k in council fly-tipping crack-down

Redbridge Council’s latest crack down on fly-tipping has led to hefty fines for 34 people who tried to get away with dumping their trash on the borough’s streets.

The grime crime offenders, the majority of which were found to be local, were identified as the culprits responsible for a number of fly-tips uncovered in the borough during a recent council led operation.  

All 34 were stung with fines totalling £13,600 between them, after piles of dumped rubbish were traced back to them by council enforcement officers wading through the mountains of mess looking for evidence.

558 fly-tips were investigated and cleared in the east and south of the borough as a result of the targeted joint operation between the council’s Enforcement Team and Street Cleansing Team.

Among the discarded rubbish was a fridge, toys, mattresses, sofas , armchairs, broken furniture and garden waste . One single fly-tip alone had 15 bags of dumped rubbish.

Redbridge Council Cabinet Member for Environment and Civic Pride, Cllr Jo Blackman, said: “Dumping rubbish and destroying our environment is a criminal offence and we will not tolerate it. Our uniformed Enforcement Officers and Street Cleansing Team are working hard to clear up rubbish and catch those responsible, but we need your help too.

“Please report fly-tips if you see them taking place in your neighbourhood, and if you aren’t sure of how to dispose of your waste properly – get in touch with us. There is also a wealth of information on our website on how to reduce your waste, as well as how to dispose of it legally. 

“All of our residents deserve to live in a clean and safe environment, and it’s up to all of us to keep our streets clean.“

The Leader of Redbridge Council, Cllr Jas Athwal said: “Dumping rubbish on the streets and in public places creates a health and safety hazard, brings our communities down and makes our neighbourhoods unpleasant for local people.

“Dumping rubbish is an offence. It costs taxpayers for the council to clear fly-tips from public spaces, money which could be better spent on services for residents if it weren’t for people illegally discarding waste.

“Please help keep Redbridge clean by disposing of your rubbish properly and reporting anyone illegally leaving rubbish to the council if you witness it.”

As part of its Our Streets strategy, and on-going work to create a cleaner and greener Redbridge, the council is taking a zero-tolerance stance on grime crime and will fine or prosecute any individual or business caught dumping rubbish on the street.

Enforcement action is being coupled alongside other on-going council initiatives to tackle fly-tipping across the borough, including anti-illegal dumping campaigns encouraging behaviour change, community engagement work, free online workshops on reducing and disposing of waste properly, and regular joint patrols between the council’s Street Cleansing Team and Enforcement Officers to tackle fly-tip hot spots around the borough. 

As part of the on-going work, a team of Enforcement, and Engagement Officers also recently engaged with the local community around a fly-tipping hotspot in Ilford. The team visited 170 properties near the site, shared advice and information with the local community on disposing of household waste properly, and delivered 72 recycling boxes to local residents, resulting in a significant drop in the number of fly-tips recorded in the area.

Redbridge Council is also asking residents to report any fly-tipping incidents they see to help keep neighbourhoods tidy. This can be done through the council’s Report it page, which enables residents to make a report quickly and easily, and attach images of the fly-tip:  https://www.redbridge.gov.uk/report-it/

All fly tips made known to the council are recorded and investigated, with enforcement action being taken if evidence is found. The council aims to clear all recorded fly-tips within 24 hours of it being reported.

Residents are reminded that when using a waste removal service, the company or individual being hired must have a valid Waste Carriers Licence to ensure they aren’t breaking the law and that the waste is being disposed of legally.

In conjunction with tackling fly-tipping, Redbridge’s waste reduction strategy is seeing the council take the lead in reducing waste across the borough, from new initiatives including the introduction of wheelie bins and the expansion of  items being accepted for recycling, to educational workshops and resources to help every household and business reduce, recycle and re-use.

For more information on reducing your household waste, disposing of waste properly, and recycling in the borough please visit: www.redbridge.gov.uk/bins-waste-and-recycling/

Watch our anti -illegal dumping campaign videos at www.youtube.com/redbridgei