On Thursday January 21, in two separate cases involving offences for failing to dispose of waste legally, cost and fines totalling over £3,000 were awarded to Bedford Borough Council, by the Magistrates Court.
In January 2019 the Council investigated a report that waste from a restaurant was building up on Bromham Road, Bedford.
The owner of the restaurant could not show that they were disposing of commercial waste legally and was issued a Fixed Penalty Notice, when this wasn’t paid the Council proceeded to prosecution.
Anil Kaylan, formerly trading as Grand Villa on Bromham Road Bedford, plead guilty to failing to provide waste transfer information. The Magistrates Court issued a total of £2,024 in fines, victim surcharge and costs against Mr Kaylan.
In July 2019, the Council visited Fenlake Road, Bedford and found several items of fly tipped waste. Following investigation, an address label for Ms Claire Eastwood of Hockliffe Road, Bedford was found.
She was interviewed under caution and admitted to paying an unknown waste collector to remove her waste, without checking they were licensed.
After failing to pay a Fixed Penalty Notice Ms Eastwood was prosecuted, and pleaded guilty to the charge of failing to control her waste. The Court issued a total of £1,274 in fines, victim surcharge and costs.
If you are disposing of household waste, you have a ‘duty of care’ to ensure that you are using a licensed waste carrier so that the waste is disposed of correctly.
The best way to do this is to always ensure that you are disposing of any household waste correctly; with a licensed waste carrier and to get a ‘Waste Transfer Note’.
Otherwise, if your waste is later found fly tipped you can be held responsible and fined, or even prosecuted.
Cllr Charles Royden, Portfolio Holder for Environment said: “We are committed to tackling fly tipping in Bedford Borough – it is a blight on the environment and a waste of taxpayer’s money when the Council has to clear up someone else’s mess.
“When you are disposing of your waste – either from your household or commercial waste from a business – you have a responsibility to do so responsibly, for the good of our Borough and the wider environment.
“Bedford Borough Council investigates fly tipping to find a culprit wherever we can, and will take enforcement action against them, from issuing Fixed Penalty Notices to prosecution.”