Why are fly-tippers getting away with it?
Only one fine has been paid
Jack Thomson Local Democracy Reporter
Council bosses have come under fire after it was revealed just one fly-tipping fine has been paid by perpetrators in the last year.
From October last year until September 30, 11 fines were issued for illegal dumping in Renfrewshire – with just one fully enforced so far.
The figures have left Paisley Northwest Councillor Karen Kennedy furious.
She claimed the statistics are proof the council isn’t doing enough to tackle a flytipping “epidemic”.
Figures from a report into fly-tipping by lead officer Karen Locke have shown an increase in complaints in recent years.
A total of 1,292 recorded in 2014/15 increased to 1,455 in 2016/17, with 957 complaints received in the first eight months of 2017/18.
And Councillor Kennedy is adamant that as Renfrewshire’s fly-tipping problem grows, the council isn’t taking a tough enough stance.
She said: “The council’s excuse is that they fine people, yet the figures on fines issued nowhere near meet the level of fly- tipping reported.
“Seeing that only one in those 11 fines has actually been paid, what is the council going to do about the epidemic of flytipping in Renfrewshire?
“Is it going to chase up those nonpayment of fines?”
However, the council has defended its fine record by arguing that catching people in the act of fly- tipping isn’t straightforward.
A spokesman said: “Fly- tipping is illegal, costly to remove and harmful to the environment and we are working hard to eradicate the issue from Renfrewshire.
“To issue a fine for fly- tipping, the person must be caught in the act or we must have sufficient evidence to clearly identify the culprit, however it often happens in remote locations or during the night.
“Therefore, while we respond to complaints of fly- tipping by clearing the items and carrying out increased surveillance of the area, it can often be difficult to catch the offender.
“All fines issued must be paid and we explore all available avenues of collection to enforce this, including court action if necessary.”
In terms of enforcement, a £200 fine for fly-tipping is the maximum that can be issued by officers as a fixed penalty notice.
However, for repeat offences or where fly- tipping is of a particularly serious nature, offenders can be reported to the Procurator Fiscal.
If a person is found guilty, the court can fine up to £40,000.
The council spokesman added: “We will continue to carry out enforcement activity through the Renfrewshire Community Safety Partnership and work with national bodies such as Scottish Environment Protection Agency to reduce and ultimately remove this issue from Renfrewshire.”
Meanwhile, the council has issued considerably more fines to tackle the problem of littering in Renfrewshire.
Between last October and September, 2018, 89 fines were issued – of which 52 have been paid.
A total of 18 fines were issued on the subject of dog fouling, with seven paid.