Council urges residents to report the fly-tippers

Oldham Council has urged local residents to 'do their bit' to help reduce fly-tipping.

Like numerous towns and cities all over the country, Oldham suffers from fly-tipping.

A small minority of irresponsible people cannot be bothered disposing of their sofas, mattresses, household goods etc responsibly at the local tip, or by arranging for a licensed waste carrier to remove them.

Instead they’d rather dump them in our streets, alleyways and green spaces. 

Oldham Council doesn’t dump the rubbish and isn’t a collection service, but officers are left to clean up waste that sometimes includes dangerous materials such as asbestos and used needles, or trade waste from people looking to offload their costs.

Unfortunately residents are left footing the bill.

Daily it costs £2,500 when you take into account staff wages, running a van and waste disposal.

Annually that is money that could be used instead to fill 40,000 potholes or support 2,500 elderly people so they can live independently at home.

Oldham Council are doing their bit by tackling the issue, focusing on more investigations and fines and engaging communities to take ownership.

They now need residents to do your bit by reporting fly-tipping in your area, challenging bad behaviour where appropriate and getting involved.

The result will be cleaner areas to live in and a place people want to be part of.

Councillor Barbara Brownridge, Cabinet Member for Neighbourhoods and Co-operatives, said: “We are not a service which can drive around our borough just picking up waste that people have dumped.

“With the council’s budget decreasing every year this is not a good way for money to be spent and is not sustainable.

“Everyone needs to do their bit. Thankfully, the vast majority do not fly-tip but for this problem to go away we need the selfish few to stop.”

As these recent prosecutions at Tameside Magistrates’ Court show, Oldham Council will take action against those who aren’t getting rid of waste properly.

Kimberley Peace (20) of Tanhill Lane, Fitton Hill, pleaded guilty to a duty of care offence after passing on her waste to an unknown person. It was later found which dumped on Hill Farm Close, Oldham.

She informed the court that she had handed the waste to a third party but pleaded guilty as she accepted that she should have only used a licensed waste carrier (or gone to the recycling centre).

She was fined £120 with £150 costs plus a £30 victim surcharge.

On August 1, 2017, officers investigating waste dumped at the side of Raper Street found evidence linking it to Rebecca Willis, who lived on the same street.

She was issued with a Fixed Penalty Notice (FPN) after admitting putting the waste there.

She failed to pay and was later prosecuted and found guilty in her absence. She was fined £200 with £356 costs and a £30 victim surcharge.

Officers found waste relating to Afshan Abubakar (37) of Worsley Street, on five different occasions between March and June 2017 in the alleyway to the rear of his property.

Ms Abubakar pleaded guilty to five offences of fly-tipping. She stated she didn’t have a grey bin at the time and didn’t realise she could just leave the bags out for collection. She was fined £500 plus £90 costs plus a £30 victim surcharge.

Andrew Murphy (47) of London Road, Oldham, pleaded guilty to fly tipping after waste relating to him was found on Low Crompton Road, Oldham.

He was fined £120, £850 costs with a £30 victim surcharge.

To report fly-tipping call 0161 770 2244 or visit www.oldham.gov.uk/flytipping