Traps set in Project Flycatcher
Traps have been set throughout the borough to stop the blight of fly-tipping in Project Flycatcher.
A three pronged proactive approach is being taken to prevent, catch and prosecute those who illegally pick up waste and dump it on other people’s doorsteps.
Project Flycatcher will see council officers actively target areas frequently defiled by fly-tipping, knocking on doors of those suspected of fly-tipping as well as seizing vehicles believed to be used for the illegal practice.
Project Flycatcher is also trying to prevent the dumping of waste by warning householders who try and dispose of their DIY waste on the cheap, that they could also face prosecution and fines for using illegal waste operators.
Residents are still responsible for their waste outside of their property if they employ a man with a van, or an illegal waste carrier, to get rid of rubbish they could be stung with a £200 fine. This includes putting white goods and sofas next to their waste bins in the hoping someone will take it away.
In the 12 months between October 2018 and September 2019 the council attended 1,630 instances of fly-tipping costing £53,386, an average of almost five reports a day from single bags, lorry loads of waste to fridge freezers and sofas. As well as the cost of the collection all fly-tipped waste is disposed of at the highest, and most expensive, category of trade waste costing the council up to £150 per tonne.
Kurt Henney, housing and enforcement officer with the council’s resilience and enforcement team, said: “Fly-tipping is not only anti-social and costly to dispose of correctly - it is also a crime.
“In Project Flycatcher not only are we targeting the random man with a van that offers to dispose of lots of waste for very little money, but the resident who thinks they don’t have to go to the trouble of disposing of their waste responsibly.”
Greg Edmond, a housing and enforcement officer, said: “If someone offers what seems a great price the reason could be they are illegally dumping your waste at a beauty spot, outside someone else’s home, and it could pollute the environment.”
“For the man in the van dumping the waste we have to power to take any vehicle involved or believed to be involved in fly-tipping. We will keep it until the end of an investigation or will crush it taking away the means to fly-tip.”
Not only is the resilience and enforcement team targeting fly-tipping but also general littering – particularly when being thrown out of a car window. If car litter bugs are spotted they will receive a £75 penalty charge notice through the post.
General waste bins and recycling bins are placed in convenient spaces throughout the borough to dispose of general day to day litter.
The Chalvey Household Waste and Recycling Centre, in White Hart Road, has facilities to dispose of waste correctly, like electrical waste which needs specialist treatment, as well as lots of options for recycling items that cannot be put in the red kerbside bin.
The council also offers a kerbside collection for bulky waste at a very competitive price with residents having the peace of mind they it will be disposed of correctly.
This is especially poignant during the Christmas and New Year period when old products like TVs, white goods and sofa’s are being replaced with new items given as gifts and bought in the January sales.
There is a £5 per item charge, with a minimum charge of £15, and a maximum of seven items permitted per collection. This can easily be arranged by contacting environmental services on 01753 475111 option 4.
More information about bulky waste collection is on the council website at https://www.slough.gov.uk/bins-and-recycling or contact the Project Flycatcher team by emailing resilienceandenforcement@slough.gov.uk
A three pronged proactive approach is being taken to prevent, catch and prosecute those who illegally pick up waste and dump it on other people’s doorsteps.
Project Flycatcher will see council officers actively target areas frequently defiled by fly-tipping, knocking on doors of those suspected of fly-tipping as well as seizing vehicles believed to be used for the illegal practice.
Project Flycatcher is also trying to prevent the dumping of waste by warning householders who try and dispose of their DIY waste on the cheap, that they could also face prosecution and fines for using illegal waste operators.
Residents are still responsible for their waste outside of their property if they employ a man with a van, or an illegal waste carrier, to get rid of rubbish they could be stung with a £200 fine. This includes putting white goods and sofas next to their waste bins in the hoping someone will take it away.
In the 12 months between October 2018 and September 2019 the council attended 1,630 instances of fly-tipping costing £53,386, an average of almost five reports a day from single bags, lorry loads of waste to fridge freezers and sofas. As well as the cost of the collection all fly-tipped waste is disposed of at the highest, and most expensive, category of trade waste costing the council up to £150 per tonne.
Kurt Henney, housing and enforcement officer with the council’s resilience and enforcement team, said: “Fly-tipping is not only anti-social and costly to dispose of correctly - it is also a crime.
“In Project Flycatcher not only are we targeting the random man with a van that offers to dispose of lots of waste for very little money, but the resident who thinks they don’t have to go to the trouble of disposing of their waste responsibly.”
Greg Edmond, a housing and enforcement officer, said: “If someone offers what seems a great price the reason could be they are illegally dumping your waste at a beauty spot, outside someone else’s home, and it could pollute the environment.”
“For the man in the van dumping the waste we have to power to take any vehicle involved or believed to be involved in fly-tipping. We will keep it until the end of an investigation or will crush it taking away the means to fly-tip.”
Not only is the resilience and enforcement team targeting fly-tipping but also general littering – particularly when being thrown out of a car window. If car litter bugs are spotted they will receive a £75 penalty charge notice through the post.
General waste bins and recycling bins are placed in convenient spaces throughout the borough to dispose of general day to day litter.
The Chalvey Household Waste and Recycling Centre, in White Hart Road, has facilities to dispose of waste correctly, like electrical waste which needs specialist treatment, as well as lots of options for recycling items that cannot be put in the red kerbside bin.
The council also offers a kerbside collection for bulky waste at a very competitive price with residents having the peace of mind they it will be disposed of correctly.
This is especially poignant during the Christmas and New Year period when old products like TVs, white goods and sofa’s are being replaced with new items given as gifts and bought in the January sales.
There is a £5 per item charge, with a minimum charge of £15, and a maximum of seven items permitted per collection. This can easily be arranged by contacting environmental services on 01753 475111 option 4.
More information about bulky waste collection is on the council website at https://www.slough.gov.uk/bins-and-recycling or contact the Project Flycatcher team by emailing resilienceandenforcement@slough.gov.uk
