Fly-tipping is costing the public purse half a million a year, says one South London council, as it announces a new ‘wall of shame’ of offenders and urges the public to report illegally dumped rubbish, writes Frankie Hills…
Last year, more than 2,000 incidents of fly-tipping were investigated by the Lambeth Council, costing the local authority a staggering £500,000.
In a statement published this month the council also reminded residents that fly-tipping carries serious consequences, with perpetrators facing up to a £50,000 fine and in the worst cases, even prison time, and warned it will also introduce a ‘wall of shame’ of law breakers.
Residents were also reminded that there are several affordable means through which residents can dispose of unwanted and bulky items, such as furniture and appliances.
The local authority is also to encourage residents to donate unwanted items to charity, rather than simply disposing of them. Its partnership with Emmaus also means residents can have reusable items collected from their homes for a low fixed fee, making the process much easier and more cost-effective than risking a fine.
Speaking on the issue, Cllr Rezina Chowdhury, Deputy Leader and Cabinet Member for Sustainable Lambeth and Clean Air, said: “I want to thank the majority of Lambeth residents who care for their area, care for their neighbours and legally dispose of their unwanted goods and waste.
“I also want to condemn those who fly tip our streets, wasting public money and selfishly disrespecting their area with their anti-social behaviour.
“The council works to clear fly tipping as quickly as possible, and encourages local people to report incidents, because we want to support pleasant neighbourhoods. But that means we are wasting money on people who have broken the law.
“We want to work with our communities to turn this around and ensure our street cleaning services can best serve our much-loved borough.”
Relatedarticles
Report fly tipping in Lambeth here.
Find out about bulky waste collections and how to dispose of other items here.
