Issue - meetings

D Austin provided an update on fly tipping.  Following the presentation, members were asked if they had any questions.

Cllr Hicks asked if the waste left around the recycling areas was the result of fly tipping, the bins being full, or there not being bins for the waste concerned.

D Austin replied it was a mixture.  Some people might turn up with a large bag of textiles that’s too big for the hatch and just leave it by the bin.  Others might come along with completely inappropriate items, thinking it’s allright to leave for examples a chair, TV or fridge.  Within that there were people genuinely coming along with items that may not fit, particularly at the sites that weren’t overflowing.  There had been some problems with the servicing of the textile banks, but he understood these had been resolved, so there shouldn’t be any issues with overflowing bins. 

Cllr Hicks said that if a bin was regularly overflowing it needed to be emptied more often.

Cllr Timmis reported that a part of her ward had been heavily contaminated with fly tipping.  25 fly tips had been left in a country lane near Flamstead called Chad Lane.  A very large fly tip had currently been left just off the A5 by the sewage works.  On her way to the meeting, she had seen 3 black bin bags full of rubbish just chucked at the side of the road.  She appreciated that people will dump things next to bins if bins were too full, but the fly tippers menacing her ward were a different type of fly tipper and were not the type that could easily be caught.  She welcomed attempts to tackle the problem by questioning people, but these were not the type of people that would be about during the day, as they fly tip by night.  Many of the fly tippers came from London, and most of the tipped material was builders rubbish. 

Cllr Timmis felt that two issues had been omitted from the presentation.  The £1 million cost of dealing with and removing fly tips applied solely to public land, and excluded the amount of money that landowners/farmers unfairly have to spend when fly tips have been left on their land.  The fly tipping was not their fault, and efforts to stop the problem were not their responsibility, so they should be entitled to some sort of help.  Also the Police didn’t have the time or the numbers of people to keep an eye out, although the rural Police do have a good idea of some of the local offenders.  It would be difficult to do anything about fly tipping whilst offenders were so confident they would not be caught, and it was difficult for people to go to the tips that were available, because there were so many restrictions.  It was no wonder people just didn’t bother going, so it would be better to spend the £1 million on opening the tips more.

D Austin responded  ...  view the full minutes text for item 139