Lancaster City Council is encouraging residents to take action against fly-tipping to help keep the district looking its best and free from waste crime.
The council has teamed up with Keep Britain Tidy for Fight Fly-Tipping Fortnight - a national campaign running from 10 to 23 November - to raise awareness of the problem of illegal dumping and the rogue ‘white van’ operators who fuel it.
The campaign urges people to protect themselves and their communities from falling prey to unlicensed traders offering cheap deals on social media.
This practice often leads to waste littering the streets, countryside, and public areas, which burdens taxpayers and local services, and can also lead to legal action against the customer.
Over the past year, Lancaster City Council cleared up 3,394 fly-tipping incidents — an increase of 18% from the previous year — that cost local taxpayers approximately £276,927.
Residents are being asked to take three simple steps before paying anyone to remove waste:
- Ask for a waste carrier registration number
- Check it on the Environment Agency’s public register at https://environment.data.gov.uk/public-register/view/search-waste-carriers-brokers or call 0300 065 3000
- Check you’ll get a receipt
Bulky waste collections can also be booked on the council website or waste can either be taken to local bring-sites or waste recycling centres, depending on the type of item: www.lancaster.gov.uk/householdwaste.
Councillor Paul Hart, Cabinet Member for Environmental Services, said: “Fly-tipping has a real impact in our district and is a deep source of frustration. Not only is it a blight on our local environment, but it costs taxpayers thousands in clear up costs — money that could be better spent on other essential services.
“Our teams work tirelessly to tackle the problem, but we need our community’s help to stop it at the source. We’re asking people to check who they pay to take rubbish away. If a deal looks too good to be true, it probably is.”
Dr. Anna Scott, Director of Services at Keep Britain Tidy, said “Councils are on the frontline of the fight against fly-tipping, responding day in, day out to clear dumped waste and keep our public spaces safe and clean. We know how much pressure this puts on already stretched local teams and we’re incredibly grateful to Lancaster City Council for joining forces with us for Fight Fly-tipping Fortnight.
“This campaign is about empowering residents to play their part in tackling this growing issue. By making simple checks before handing over waste and always getting a receipt, people can protect themselves from rogue traders, stop organised criminal networks in their tracks and help ensure public money is spent where it’s needed most.”
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