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Fly-tipping

Report an incident of fly-tipping

Fly-tipping - it's hazardous, pollutes Medway, looks unsightly and costs significant amounts of money to clear up. If you have witnessed fly-tipping, report it online now

 

Fly-tipping is the dumping of rubbish or any unwanted item in any quantity on any land that is not licensed to accept it.  Fly-tipping can present a hazard to the public, it can pollute the land and watercourses, looks unsightly and costs the council tax-payer significant amounts of money to clear it away.

With the introduction of a tax on rubbish which is disposed of through landfill, incidents of fly-tipping have increased. The council is responsible for clearing fly-tipping from public areas under its control and deals with several hundred incidents each month. Fly-tipping on land which is private is the responsibility of the land owner or owners who, in certain circumstances, can be made to clear away the rubbish.

The fines for fly-tipping are substantial and can be up to £50,000, with a six-month prison sentence. If the case is taken to Crown Court, the fines can be unlimited and if hazardous waste, such as asbestos, is dumped, a prison sentence of up to five years can be imposed. Vehicles used for fly-tipping can be seized by the police.

Reporting fly-tipping

Residents or visitors to Medway can report incidents of fly-tipping to Customer First or by completing the online form , via the Love Medway website, by downloading the Love Medway app, available from most mobile phones app stores, or by text to 07725 202020.  If sending a report in by text remember to write LM at the start of the message followed by a description of the problem and then the location.

The council needs to know exactly where the fly-tipping is happening, what the rubbish is and the amount of it. This helps staff to find out if the land belongs to the council and send the right vehicle to the right place to clear it away.

Any further information, such as a description of the person fly-tipping or the registration number of any vehicle that was involved, makes it possible to trace and prosecute the fly-tippers. The council may also set up special surveillance in areas which are regularly fly-tipped.

If you wish to report someone for flytipping you will be asked to make a witness statement. This is so the council can take legal action against the offender.

Remember, householders in Medway can have up to three items of bulky waste, such as furniture, collected free of charge at a time.

They may also take their household rubbish to any of the three household waste sites and recycling centres.

 

For more information contact Customer First by telephone: 01634 333333 or by email: customer.first@medway.gov.uk

Write to: Customer First, Medway Council, Gun Wharf, Dock Road, Chatham, Kent ME4 4TR

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