Burden of fly tipping costs Leicester Council £1.7 million

Leicester City Council has revealed that more than £1.7 million was spent on clearing illegal waste between 2010 and 2015, with over 50,000 reports of fly tipping rubbish in that same period.

The council commented to the Leicester Mercury that fly-tipping is not only “a huge drain on the council finances, it is also a massive blight on local neighbourhoods and can have a big impact on people’s lives.”

Fly tipping is illegal in the UK and at present fines can be handed out of up to £50,000 with more serious cases potentially resulting in up to five years imprisonment. However, in addition to these existing rules, Leicester Council is now planning a new project which will allow them to go after medium sized fly tippers and hand them a quick £250 fixed penalty notice. This follows changes in UK law which will hand local authorities greater powers when it comes to tackling the dumping of waste with permission to issue notices of between £150 and £400.

Leicester Council has also underlined the importance of having a valid waste carrier certificate. If you transport, buy, sell, dispose of or arrange for someone else to buy, sell, or dispose of waste then you are required to register for a waste carriers, brokers or dealers license.

Here at LSPS we support businesses and individuals with their waste disposal needs. More information about our waste recycling and disposal services can be found here or alternatively you can call LSPS on our free phone number: 0800 083 7807.

How skips can help landlords to clear flats and houses

Under the Environmental Protection Act 1990 landlords have a responsibility to dispose of any leftover waste in their properties. If they fail to do so properly they could risk serious fines and even prosecution.

In practice this means that when a tenant ends their lease or is evicted it is then up to the landlord to find a way to dispose of any items that are left behind. This applies to waste in both the interior and exterior of the house and it is usually covers the following:

· Waste that is generated from any improvements, repairs or alterations to a property

· Waste that is left behind after a tenant vacates a property

· Fixtures or fittings that have been supplied as part of the lease

· Waste that is removed on behalf of a tenant, rather than by the tenant.

While costs for clearance can sometimes be recovered from your prior tenants if pursued properly, the waste itself will still need to be dealt with either way and the best way to do this is to hire a skip.

It’s important to remember that fly tipping is a punishable offence and can lead to fines of up to £50,000, while leaving waste in the garden, front or back yard could mean smaller fines of up to £2,500. So hiring a skip to fill up with your tenants leftover waste is usually a sensible move.

Here at LSPS, we operate our own waste transfer station which means that you don’t have to separate any of your rubbish before you throw it in the skip – saving you time and money. Click here to book a skip online or call us on freephone 0800 083 7807 to discuss your needs in more detail.