Around £10,000 worth of fines to fly tippers in West Lothian since January.
A new crackdown has seen an increase in the amount of waste lifted as reports and public awareness about the problem rises.
And all evidence gathered reinforces evidence that it is criminal and commercial culprits behind the dumping- not members of the public angry and recycling centre restrictions.
Councillors praised staff for their efforts to tackle fly tipping across the county through a combination of enforcement, community engagement and investment in new technology.
A report to the Environment and Sustainability Policy Development and Scrutiny Panel (PDSP) highlighted the council’s ongoing work to reduce fly-tipping and protect local communities from the environmental and financial impact of illegally dumped waste.
The report outlined an intelligence-led approach that combines prevention, improved reporting, targeted enforcement and partnership working to address the issue.
In her report to the committee Victoria Mungall, Interim NETs, Land and Countryside Manager said: “Fly-tipping continues to present a significant environmental, operational and financial challenge across West Lothian.”
Evidence gathered over the last three years has shown that traditional incidents of fly-tipping remain static, but the tonnage of waste removed from West Lothian streets has increased.
The study has also knocked down a long-held belief that changes to opening times at recycling centres had fuelled fly-tipping.
Head of Operational Services David Maule told the meeting there were tens of thousands of unused booking slots at the CRC sites each year.
He added: “I’m not convinced that someone’s inability or unwillingness is leading people to undertake fly-tipping. It is not people who are deciding they are going to fly-tip rather than booking into a CRC site”.
Mrs Mungall’s report added: “The report also highlights that evidence does not support a direct link between the Community Recycling Centre booking system and increased fly-tipping, with behavioural factors and illegal disposal practices remaining the primary drivers of commercial waste crime – when householders carry out house improvements or replace household goods, a contractor offers to dispose of waste materials at a cheap price, fly tips, the householder is aiding and abetting and initiating a commercial crime.”
She said: “Evidence within the report demonstrates increased levels of public reporting, growing community participation and strengthened enforcement outcomes, all of which have contributed to improving the Council’s ability to identify, investigate and respond to fly-tipping incidents.
“While challenges remain, particularly in relation to private land, illegal encampments and irresponsible waste disposal practices, the Council continues to work pro-actively with local communities and partner organisations to minimise the impact of fly-tipping and improve environmental quality across West Lothian.”
Councillor Alison Adamson praised staff for the improvements. “I was excited to read this paper. It is a service where there is a lot going on that the general public are not aware of. It is so frustrating for staff to see the negative comments.”
She added: “I think common sense has to develop. It is lazy people who are dumping stuff. There are lots of groups doing things. These are people who care about their communities and there are people who carry on chucking rubbish everywhere. It’s not just McDonald’s boxed but van loads. We have to get the message across that its unacceptable.”
Councillor Craig Meek said: “ A huge thank you to the officers for the work they are doing in regard to fly-tipping. It is also really important to praise the groups and individuals who work in partnership with the council.”
Incidents of commercial fly-tipping and other factors are included as part of the council’s overall data collection.
- When community litter picks take place, bags of waste are left on paths at litter bins for the council to collect. This is also recorded as fly-tipping. Therefore, given West Lothian’s strong record of community clean ups, this has a significant impact on the data. There was also a longer Spring Clean programme this year, so the amount of community clean ups and waste removed was greater than in previous years.
- A significant amount of waste removed from illegal encampments
- Improved reporting mechanisms, increased public awareness and enhanced detection through CCTV have also helped identify and remove more waste, contributing to higher recorded tonnage figures.
Most reported fly-tipping on public land is cleared within three working days in town centres and within five working days in residential and rural areas. The removal of fly tipping from private land is the responsibility of the landowner.
Residents can report incidents of fly-tipping through the council’s website and are reminded to ensure anyone removing waste on their behalf is a licensed waste carrier.
Executive councillor for Environment and Sustainability Tom Conn said: “Fly-tipping is not a victimless crime. It impacts all who live in the area through both the cost of clear up and the obvious negative effect on our local environment and wildlife.
“Fly-tipping is a criminal offence and not acceptable under any circumstance. Anyone caught doing so will be pursued.
“Evidence still suggests that the majority of fly tipping activity is carried out by commercial operators. It is imperative that residents ensure anyone taking away their waste has an appropriate waste carriers license in place.
“ I’d like to thank residents and volunteering groups like West Lothian Litter Pickers for their continued engagement and please ask people to keep reporting any incidents of fly-tipping through the West Lothian Council website.”
By Stuart Sommerville, Local Democracy Reporter
