A man who paid for waste to be removed from his property has been fined £662 after it was fly-tipped in Hart.
The Bracknell resident pleaded guilty to failing in his duty of care to ensure his waste was disposed of legally under Section 34 of the Environmental Protection Act 1990 at Basingstoke Magistrates Court on 21 February.
The householder paid a person driving past his property £60 in cash to remove his old kitchen following the fitting of a new one. This domestic waste was later found fly-tipped on Blackbushes Road, Hartley Wintney.
Councillor Alan Oliver, Cabinet Member for Environment at Hart District Council, said “Householders must remember they have a duty of care to ensure their waste is disposed of legally, and they can be penalised if they employ someone to dispose of their waste which is then fly-tipped. To avoid this risk, they should always use a licensed waste carrier.
“Fly-tipping is a criminal offence which damages the environment, risks public health and costs taxpayers to clean up. If people exercise their duty of care, it helps combat or put illegal fly-tippers out of business.”
Residents can easily verify if someone is a registered waste carrier by checking their name or licence number details at www.hants.gov.uk/wasteandrecycling/flytipping. They face an unlimited fine if their waste ends up fly-tipped, and they cannot show that they took reasonable steps to prevent it.
If you see fly-tipping taking place, please report this to the Council by calling 01252 622122, giving details of the incident including the location, vehicle registration and description of the person(s). If you come across dumped waste, please report it online at fixmystreet.
The Council also collects bulky household refuse such as old furniture, sofas, washing machines, cookers and carpets, for a fee. More details at www.hart.gov.uk/household-waste.