Fly tipping

fly tipping

Fly tipping

Service Target

Fly tipping is the illegal dumping of waste. The Council is keen to obtain information about people who dump their waste in this way, and will also seek to take action against such individuals.

We will clear fly tipping on public open spaces, such as streets, parks, playgrounds and cemeteries. Private property is the responsibility of the landowner or landlord, although we now have powers to order landowners to clear up if they knowingly caused or permitted the fly tipping.

There is no excuse for fly tipping waste - West Wiltshire provides kerbside collections of domestic rubbish and recycling, while white goods and other bulky items can be taken to the household waste recycling centres. Alternatively, home collections can be made for a charge.

Everyone has a ‘duty of care’ to ensure that they dispose of their waste properly and in a responsible manner.

The Clean Neighbourhoods and Environment Act removes the defence of acting under employers’ instructions and increases the maximum penalty in the magistrates’ court to £50,000 or five years’ imprisonment on indictment.

When reporting fly tipping, please provide as much information as possible, including:

  • Location of the incident.
  • Description of the material - whether it is household waste such as furniture, fridges, washing machines, beds etc; garden waste, such as hedge cuttings; or building material, such as blocks, rubble, bricks etc.
  • An estimation of the volume - for example, is the amount of rubbish more or less than the size of an average household fridge?
  • Whether the material appears to be hazardous - this could include gas bottles and cylinders, drums and metal containers with labels indicating potentially dangerous contents, or asbestos. Under no circumstances should you put yourself at risk by inspecting fly tipping.
  • Any information that could help us to identify the person responsible for the fly tipping - for example, vehicle registration.

Service target: we aim to inspect and remove any fly tipping within two days of notification, although larger volumes and/or hazardous materials may take longer. To report a problem with fly tipping, then please contact us:

See also:

Encams (Keep Britain Tidy campaign) - http://www.encams.org/campaigns/main2.asp?pageid=29   (external link, opens in new window)

Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs - http://www.defra.gov.uk/environment/localenv/legislation/cnea/waste.pdf (external link, opens in new window)

Directgov website - information on fly tipping (external link, opens in new window)