Flytippers prosecuted for illegally dumped waste in Tameside

FLYTIPPERS have been fined over £2,000 after dumping their rubbish illegally in Tameside, in prosecutions which are part of Tameside Council’s Our Streets campaign.

Craig Davenport, of Ward Road, Droylsden, visited Ash Road Household Waste Recycling Centre in April 2022 to dispose of some garden waste in his trailer, but was told by staff that he would need a permit to use the facility with a trailer.

After transferring some of the tree branches to his car and going back and forth to the recycling centre, the facility needed to temporarily close while a container was removed. Mr Davenport was not happy about this and dumped the waste on Ash Road, driving off shouting: “send me the bill.” Staff reported the incident to Tameside Council and provided CCTV.

Mr Davenport appeared at Tameside Magistrates Court on Thursday 9 March 2023 and pleaded guilty to fly tipping contrary to section 33 of the Environmental Protection Act 1990.

Mr Davenport accepted that he was in the wrong and said that he shouldn’t have done it and was sorry. The magistrates told Mr Davenport that fly tipping is a serious offence and imposed the following sentence: a fine of £500, victim surcharge of £50, costs of £1,269 – a total of £1,819.

Another resident received a fine when Tameside Council enforcement officers traced a bag of household waste dumped on Bentinck Street in Ashton, on October 2022, to Kathryn Chadwick.

Ms Chadwick, of Dean Street in Ashton, had the opportunity to pay an £80 Fixed Penalty Notice for littering, served under s87 of the Environmental Protection Act 1990, but ignored numerous opportunities to pay the fine so prosecution proceedings were launched.

The defendant denied that she deposited the waste herself, but pleaded guilty to failing to uphold household duty of care to dispose of her waste responsibly, an offence under s34(2A) Environmental Protection Act 1990.

The Magistrates imposed the following sentence on Ms Chadwick: a fine of £80, a £32 victim surcharge and £200 costs.

Cllr Denise Ward, Tameside Council Executive Member for Environmental Services, said: “Our enforcement officers work tirelessly to ensure that we can prosecute people who illegally dump or fly tip their waste. These actions damage our communities and local landscapes for residents so we have teams investigating fly tipping every day to stamp this out, as part of the Our Streets campaign.”