Fly tipping and pollution
‘Expect a knock on the door’ warns Council Leader amid incessant town centre fly-tipping
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The leader of Walsall Council has promised a zero-tolerance approach and an end to the scourge of fly-tipping.
Fly-tipping hotspots are frequently cleared by council enforcement officers, with fixed penalty notices handed to those found responsible.
Certain areas in Walsall town centre are targeted by perpetrators consistently, resulting in the waste of valuable council resources. To track down those responsible, the council is using CCTV and is exploring all options available to bring an end to the issue.
“ My patience wears thin with such matters.
Our teams do a lot of work to keep the borough clean, but like clockwork, fly-tipped rubbish reappears in the same places within hours. It is simply unacceptable.
I promise a zero-tolerance approach to fly-tipping. This promise will be kept, and we will prevent it happening in the future. If you are responsible, then be prepared for a knock on the door and a fine through the post. I can assure you it is coming. “
The council's community safety and enforcement service responded to 787 reports of fly-tipping during 2023/24. This resulted in nearly 500 litter fixed penalty notices and 22 fly-tipping fixed penalty notices being issued.
In July, Walsall Council seized a white Transit van which had been identified by the Council's CCTV as involved in two incidents of fly-tipping on Woodwards Road. The vehicle's owner now faces prosecution under Section 110 of the Environment Act 1995 for intentionally obstructing an authorised officer. Additionally, they will be charged for both fly-tipping offences.
Walsall Council is also continuing its environmental crime scene project, which sees fly-tipped areas treated as crime scenes. In an extension of the project, fly-tipping education and prevention officers are also now hitting the streets with a touring trailer, designed to tackle the root causes of fly-tipping and littering ward by ward.
Walsall residents can dispose of their waste by booking bulky waste collections or visiting one of the household waste recycling centres, open seven days a week in the borough.
Residents can report fly-tipping quickly and easily on the https://go.walsall.gov.uk/apply/myaccount-online-services/report-fly-tip or by calling 01922 653355.
ENDS
Notes to editor:
Contact the street care and cleaning teams: https://go.walsall.gov.uk/roads-parking-and-travel/street-care-and-cleaning/contact-the-street-care-and-cleaning-teams
• Fly-tipping is a serious criminal offence which carries a fine of up to £20,000 (unlimited if indicted to the Crown Court). Offenders can even be sent to prison.
• There are two Household Waste Recycling Centres (HWRCs) in the borough of Walsall which are free to use: Fryers Road, Bloxwich and Merchants Way, Aldridge.
• The council offers a bulky items collection service for residents who may struggle to take larger items to a Household Waste Recycling Centre. This can be booked through the Council website.
• Residents who are struggling to manage their household waste, for example because of a growing family or an ongoing medical condition, can apply for a larger bin through the Council’s website.
