Surrey Council says residents need to play part in cracking down on fly-tipping
Waverley Borough Council is urging residents to ensure they only hire licensed waste carriers
Surrey residents are being warned to check their waste is handled by qualified professionals following a recent county-wide crackdown on fly-tipping.
In a targeted operation last month, police stopped more than one hundred vehicles across the county last month, processing over twenty waste offences.
The operation was carried out in partnership with various local councils, one of which being Waverley Borough Council.
Tony Fairclough is the Waverley Borough Council portfolio holder for regulatory services and that covers such matters as fly tipping.
He told us that proactive tactics are essential
"The role we have is to make sure that it is not dumped, because obviously once it is dumped then the problem becomes that of the farmers and the landowners to clear it."
Tony emphasised the power of education when it comes to clamping down on fly-tippers
"I think the best way of solve of stopping this and reducing this as a problem is to inform residents
The key thing is for our residents to make sure that they only employ a licensed waste carrier to remove waste from their home. If everyone did that, then the problem goes away. We don't have unlicensed waste carriers if no one is employing them."
If residents do not ensure they use a licensed waste carrier, they could become responsible for the damage that is caused, something which Tony said could make them liable for a hefty fine
"If you do hire a private waste company to remove rubbish and they do not have a license, then that resident will be liable for a fine
If within the waste that is disposed of illegally, there is any paperwork that can lead us back to individuals with with their address details or similar, then yes, they will be that that resident will be liable for a fine."
Tony emphasised the huge damage the problem of fly tipping was causing and how important education is around the topic
"Obviously, waste crime has a significant impact on rural communities. Farmers and landowners are often having to deal with quite serious amounts of of waste, commercial waste, some of it things like asbestos, which is very costly to clear.
t's educational process to make people aware of the consequences and the consequences for farmers and land owners are financially very severe. But also it's it's informing people of where to go to find a licensed waste carrier.
They can do that online by searching for waste carriers, brokers and dealers.