Fine mess fly-tippers got themselves into

A task force tackling fly-tipping in Renfrewshire is “going from strength to strength” – as more fines are slapped on illegal dumpers.

The bespoke team, formed last year, is conducting daily patrols as the council strives to tighten its grip on the problem and catch perpetrators in the act.

The group inspects evidence left in bags, searches for potential witnesses among nearby residents and businesses, and monitors CCTV camera footage as it tries to identify those response for unsightly piles of rubbish.

Nicola Drummond, lead officer for

Task force cracks down

building communities, confirmed a total of 29 fixed penalty notices have been issued to culprits as part of the operation.

She told Tuesday’s communities and housing policy board: “The environmental task force is going from strength to strength.

“The team are doing very well, the fixed penalty notices are increasing, as is our work – speaking to housing associations and private landlords. “We’ve had some good results.”

Two criminal investigations are underway, according to a report, which are targeting “prolific fly-tippers”. SNP depute council leader Jacqueline

Cameron believes the project is “sending a message” that illegal dumping won’t be tolerated.

“I just wanted to say how impressed I was with the work of the environmental task force,” she said. “The work with landowners to educate and talk to them, as well as being tough with criminal investigations, is a good balance.

“Beyond the fact that they’ve worked so hard and are reaping the results, it’s sending a message that we’re not going to put up with fly-tipping in Renfrewshire.”

The task force works liaises with housing associations, the Scottish Environment Protection Agency, Keep

Scotland Beautiful and Zero Waste Scotland.

Councillor Iain McMillan, Labour group leader, saluted the group’s success but warned of the impact on fly-tipping of a planned £40 annual charge for garden waste collection.

He said: “It’s certainly good that we seem to be working with other housing associations in tackling this problem.

“I’m not entirely sure if it’s going to get worse.The budget agreed a £40 fee for garden waste and the people I spoke to over the weekend...they said, ‘I’m not paying £40, I’m taking my garden rubbish and dumping it’.

“We need to keep our eye on that. We have to be realistic and some people will just not want to pay.”