Agenda item

Report ES19078

Members considered actions to support outcomes of the Council’s Fly-Tipping and Enforcement Working Group. The Fly-Tipping Action Plan - an output from the Working Group - was appended to Report ES19078 along with terms of reference for the group.

The first six months of 2019/20 saw 1,552 fly-tipping incidents in the borough (estimated 966.22 tonnes of waste) with 111 incidents (7.2%) subject to enforcement activity (investigations as reported to Defra, including fines and prosecutions). The same period in 2018/19 saw 1,651 incidents. Enforcement activity is limited by the quantity and quality of evidence available at the time of each incident.

Fly-tips by type and material volume were highlighted in Report ES19078 from April 2016 to September 2019 - the largest numbers being from small van loads, followed by single items.

Activities undertaken as part of the 2019/20 plan include targeted awareness campaigns (e.g. letters to residents in the immediate vicinity of a fly-tipping hotspot), physical prevention measures such as barriers and road closures and a benchmarking exercise to establish best practice that can be applied in the borough. The public can also report issues via Fix-My-Street (FMS), providing opportunity to upload photographic evidence of fly-tips and to see an update when the rubbish has been removed. In the first six months of 2019/20, 1,856 reports on FMS related to fly-tipping (1,746 excluding reports within parks). The number of reports is higher than the actual number of incidents as duplicate reports on the FMS system are included (different members of the public may have reported the same issue).

Activities in the Fly-Tipping Action Plan are funded though the Members Fly-Tipping Initiative Fund (unless otherwise stated). From an original £250k allocation, £15,696 has been spent and £113,480 committed leaving £120,824 remaining. As the sum of potential activities in the 2019/20 Action Plan totals £273,360, the working group will need to prioritise activities in consultation with the ECS Portfolio Holder and Members and according to the impact the activities are likely to have on preventing and reducing fly-tipping. Alternative funding will need to be identified for any schemes that cannot be funded through the Fly-Tipping Initiative Fund.

In discussion, a Member suggested that when a fly-tipping event had occurred, enquiries are made with neighbouring residents. It was confirmed that local enquiries would be made where reasonable although a local investigation would be attempted initially. A targeted letter would also be sent to residents - a resident might be unaware that leaving an unwanted item(s) on the footway outside a property could be fly-tipping. A letter can also provide reward advice (up to £500) payable for information leading to a successful prosecution. It was also confirmed that offenders successfully prosecuted for fly-tipping are “named and shamed”. Additionally, Members were advised of proposals (subject to the Portfolio Holder’s agreement) to raise the curtilage at certain locations to double edge kerbside in an effort to prevent fly-tipping.

Members were also advised of a trial use of new signage in rural lanes to help reduce littering. If successful, signs would be installed permanently. Thorough street cleansing would be necessary to highlight the effectiveness of the trial.

The Vice-Chairman highlighted litter bin misuse in Chislehurst Ward e.g. deposit of household waste in bins. He suggested a smaller aperture for bins to prevent larger waste being deposited. The Enforcement Manager advised that signs are provided on litter bins and if information is provided, an investigation can be initiated. The Portfolio Holder indicated that bins affixed to a lighting column normally have a cap and litter bins regularly misused are removed. In this scenario, the Vice-Chairman questioned whether Ward Members are consulted on bin removal. Black sacks are searched for any evidence of an offender and contact would be made should evidence be found in a bag. Cllr Samaris Huntington-Thresher (Chelsfield and Pratts Bottom) suggested this problem should be included in the Environment Matters newsletter to highlight any misconception amongst residents and highlight that misuse of a litter bin amounts to fly-tipping. Highlighting a layby in Court Road Orpington subject to regular fly-tipping, she also asked what action can be taken to make the layby inaccessible to fly-tipping and less easy to abuse in this way. She further asked for a site visit to the location. The Enforcement Manager advised that he had visited the dedicated layby and was happy to meet Cllr Huntington-Thresher there.

Cllr Michael Tickner (Copers Cope) highlighted a large scale fly-tipping incident in his ward, comprising some five trailer loads of industrial waste. Cllr Tickner enquired on enforcement progress with the incident and whether the Environment Agency had been informed. However, the Enforcement Manager indicated that it had not been possible to follow through successfully on investigations with the trailer.  

RESOLVED that the Fly-Tipping Action Plan be noted.