New power to issue £400 fines will speed-up fly-tipping prosecutions

It will now be easier to take action against fly-tippers in the borough of Rochdale after councillors adopted new powers to issue £400 fines for small scale offences this month.

New fixed penalty notices (FPNs) will be used as well as prosecuting people through the courts, which can be costly and take a long time.

The council can instead focus its resources on court cases involving more serious fly-tipping offences and pursuing those who don’t pay fines. 

The council continued its drive to stamp out environmental crimes in 2018, with 34 prosecutions leading to financial penalties of over £17,000.

The fixed penalty notice for littering, previously £75, has also been increased to £150

Councillor Neil Emmott, the council’s cabinet member for environment, said: “Fly-tipping is a nuisance to our community, a threat to the environment and costs taxpayers’ money to clear away. We’ve always come down hard on fly-tippers and the introduction of this new power gives us even more means to punish people who choose to ruin our environment.”

The following cases were all heard at Manchester and Salford Magistrates’ Court within the last month with defendants prosecuted for an offence contrary to the Environmental Protection Act 1990. They had all been issued fixed penalty notices of £75, but failed to pay and were subsequently taken to court.

On 22 January 2019 Daniel Stephens, 28, of Harvard Street, Rochdale, was fined £440 and ordered to pay costs of £435 and a victim surcharge of £44 over a bag of waste found deposited at garages on Harvard Street, Rochdale in May 2018. Mr Stephens was prosecuted in his absence for the offence of littering.

On 19 February 2019 Rebecca O’Neil, 32, of Bury New Road, Heywood, was also in court over bags of waste found on land at Bury Old Road, Heywood in July 2018. Ms O’Neil failed to attend court and was fined £220 and ordered to pay costs of £440 and a victim surcharge of £30 in her absence.

On the same day Alexander Davenport, 22, of Tintern Road, Middleton, was fined £40 and ordered to pay costs of £440 and a victim surcharge of £30 over waste dumped on Bay Street, Heywood. Mr Davenport attended court and pleaded guilty to the offence of littering.

Anyone who has any information about fly-tipping, is urged to report it by calling 0300 303 8884 or online at:

• rochdale.gov.uk/flytipping

Information about how to dispose of bulky waste and the locations of recycling centres can be found at:

• rochdale.gov.uk/recycling