Over the past month, Newark and Sherwood District Council’s Environmental Protection, Community Protection and Licensing Officers have taken part in two successful multiagency operations, cracking down on rogue traders carrying waste without the correct documents.
Over two busy mornings, District Council officers teamed up with Nottinghamshire Police and the Environment Agency to check that vehicles carrying waste were operating legally across the district.
Officers also conducted visits to sites dealing with waste and scrap metal, which is a new venture as a further measure to prevent unlicensed carriers from illegally depositing their waste here.
The day was judged a success by all the teams due to the cooperative nature of the site visits and their aim to continue working with waste sites. The reduction in vehicles stopped, in comparison to previous similar operations, appears to correspond with the impact of successful, persistent and visible enforcement as well as education around the issue.
Councillor Paul Taylor, Portfolio Holder for Public Protection and Community Relations at Newark and Sherwood District Council, said: “These operations were certainly successful for us and the other authorities involved. It’s important to ensure that there is a known enforcement presence to tackle the on-going issues with illegal waste carriers we experience throughout the district. Cracking down on all environmental crime has been a focus for us over the past year and will continue to be so going forward.”
An Environment Agency spokesperson said: “This operation not only strengthens our partnerships with other agencies but reassures the local community that we are taking positive action, to disrupt illegal activities regarding the transportation and sale of scrap metals and unlicensed waste carriers.”
Sergeant Marcus Bloomfield, of Nottinghamshire Police, said: “Fly-tipping is something that blights our rural communities – not only do people target green and sparse areas but also sometimes our rivers.
“It’s not only an eyesore to the public but fly-tipping can also be hazardous and dangerous. It also incurs a huge cost to farmers and landowners who need to get rid of the waste in an environmentally sound way. It can cause unpleasant smells, attract pests, create a dangerous environment for wildlife and animals while also affecting children and pets.
“By targeting illegal waste collectors and carrying out operations like this one we are hoping to send a strong message to those who think they can get away with dumping waste of all kinds onto areas of our community that we will act and are acting.”
When the Government’s Local Authority League Table was released earlier in the year, Newark and Sherwood ranked as the best district or borough in Nottinghamshire for fly-tipping enforcement and scored 2nd place across the whole of the East Midlands for incident to Fixed Penalty Notice ratio and 4th for FPN totals.
