South Gloucestershire Council

Published: 10/12/2015

A father and son from Patchway have been fined a total of £535 after admitting fly tip related waste offences in South Gloucestershire.

George West, 26, of Cavendish Road, Patchway and his father David West, 55, of Bradley Road, Patchway appeared at North Avon Magistrates’ Court on Friday 4 December.

The court heard that a Filton resident had paid George West to remove some household waste, which he then took to Patchway where his father rented a garage. He stated that he left the waste in the garage amongst other waste that his father had collected and had yet to dispose of. Instead, they illegally disposed of the waste.

George West pleaded guilty to fly tipping and not having a Waste Transfer Note or a Registered Waste Carriers Licence to transport the waste. He was fined £200 with an additional £20 victim surcharge and court costs, along with £878.66p costs to the council.

His father David West pleaded guilty to not having a Waste Transfer Note and keeping/storing waste without a licence. He additionally stated that following complaints about the piles of waste outside his garage, he had paid someone else to take the waste away even though some of it was not his. Some of this waste was subsequently fly tipped elsewhere in Patchway.

David West was fined £335 and an additional £33 victim surcharge and court costs, along with £878.66p costs to the council.

South Gloucestershire Council’s Communities Committee Chair Cllr Heather Goddard said: “These prosecutions help send the message that if you are involved in the illegal dumping of waste in South Gloucestershire, you will be prosecuted. We have already had 15 successful prosecutions for fly tip related offences this year, and further cases are being prepared. Residents are advised to only give their rubbish to an Environment Agency registered waste carrier or they could be held liable if waste is subsequently fly tipped.”

You can carry out these simple steps to make sure your waste is disposed of legally:
• Ask for a copy of the company’s waste carrier registration certificate and ask where the waste is being taken. Legitimate firms will be happy to provide this information. Do not be tempted to use people offering cheap waste clearance on sites such as Facebook and Gumtree unless you have confirmed that they are registered with the Environment Agency.
• Check whether the waste carrier is registered by calling the Environment Agency on 08708 506506 or by checking on their website.
• Ask for a registered trading address and contact telephone number for the trader and get a receipt.

Unwanted goods and household or garden waste can all be disposed of at no cost at any of our Sort IT!* centres.

Residents who see illegal fly tipping are encouraged to report it by contacting the Street Care helpdesk on 01454 868000, emailing streetcare@southglos.gov.uk or visiting www.southglos.gov.uk/flytipping