The leader of Wiltshire Council stated there is a zero-tolerance approach to fly-tipping following a recent incident which took place on Bemerton Heath.
It comes after of repeated incidents fly-tipping in Glyndebourne Close on Bemerton Heath, where one resident had reported people dumping items in the night, and those items had been left in situ for almost two months.
Speaking to this newspaper, Liz Garland said: “ “People come in the middle of the night and just dump their things. I was told by the estate office to take a video but it’s during the night and they won’t put up CCTV.
“I feel so gutted. I get so upset. I don’t want to live like this. It isn’t the people who live here who are doing this.”
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Leader of Wiltshire Council, Councillor Richard Clewer said: “We have committed to tackling fly-tipping, and we take a zero-tolerance approach. We will always prosecute or issue Fixed Penalty Notices where we can.”
Wiltshire Council allocated £150,000 per year over three years to tackle environmental crime which includes fly-tipping. The bulk of this funding is being spent on more officers and equipment including state-of-the-art cameras to catch criminals in the act.
The campaign was built on the ‘We’re Targeting Fly-tippers’ (WTF) which focuses on three key areas and warns people of the penalties connected to fly-tipping including prosecution, unlimited fines and vehicles being seized.
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Cllr Clewer added: “When we receive reports of fly-tipping on our land, we aim to remove it as soon as possible, working with our contractor. We are aware of issues in the Glyndebourne Close area where waste has been removed but more waste has been fly-tipped.
“We take fly-tipping very seriously here in Wiltshire, and we will look to prosecute or issue fixed penalty notices to offenders – and even crush their vehicles.”
The council is encouraging residents who spot fly-tipping to report it to them using the MyWilts app and it will investigate and arrange for rubbish to be cleared up. It will also look into increasing patrols and installing signage and cameras in problem areas.
Cllr Clewer added: “Anyone who reports a fly-tipper to us could receive a reward of up to £200 in high street vouchers if the information leads to the successful prosecution of an offender or the payment of a fixed penalty notice.”
