South Gloucestershire Council is continuing its fight against fly-tipping and littering – which costs taxpayers hundreds of thousands of pounds each year to clean up – following the successful prosecution of four individuals for committing related offences.
Following an investigation, the council brought a prosecution against John Cox, of Redfield Hill, Oldland Common after he fly-tipped six bags of waste near his home. The bags contained a combination of work-based litter and waste. Mr Cox was given a conditional discharge and ordered to pay costs of £300.
Wayne Dempsey of Casey Bottom Lane, St George fly-tipped a bed and mattress in a lane in Bitton. Mr Dempsey was fined £350 and ordered to pay costs of £600. Magistrates remarked that if Mr Dempsey had taken the bed and mattress to an appropriate civic amenity site, he could have disposed of them for free.
Also, Matthew Rees, the proprietor and director of Reece Environmental Ltd, was fined £500 and ordered to pay costs of £800, after waste was seen falling from the vehicle he was driving along the Ring Road. Mr Rees’ solicitor said in court that measures were now in place to prevent this from happening again in the future.
And Craig Manley, of Salcombe Road, Knowle was fined £365 and ordered to pay costs of £600, after waste was also seen escaping from the same vehicle that Mr Rees had been driving the previous day.
Councillor Heather Goddard, executive member for communities, said: “South Gloucestershire Council will not tolerate the minority who fly-tip and drop litter. Their irresponsible actions spoil the appearance of the district, pollute the environment, can pose a safety hazard and costs taxpayers a considerable amount of money to clear up. It costs £50,000 per year alone to clear litter from the Ring Road. We will continue to take action against individuals and businesses who flout the law in this way.”
All the defendants were charged under the Environmental Protection Act (1990). They all appeared at North Avon Magistrates’ Court recently and pleaded guilty to the offences.
The council is currently pursuing further legal action against other individuals and businesses who it alleges have been fly-tipping and littering in the district.
Source: South Gloucestershire Council
