South Gloucestershire Council

Published: 18/10/2016

A man from Yate has been ordered to pay a total of £720 in fines and costs after he admitted to carrying waste without the required paperwork.

Connie Hegarty, 34, of Badminton Road, Yate, appeared before Bristol Magistrates’ Court on Friday 14 October. He pleaded guilty to not having a Waste Transfer Note or a Registered Waste Carriers Licence and was fined £120 and ordered to pay costs of £600.

The court heard that on Thursday 7 April 2016 a flatbed lorry carrying waste was stopped by Avon & Somerset Police as it travelled along Wedgewood Road, in Downend, South Gloucestershire. The driver and his companion admitted being paid to remove waste, but that they did not have the required paperwork in order to do so legally.

South Gloucestershire Council’s Environment and Community Services Committee Chair Cllr Heather Goddard said: “The prosecution came about as a result of multi-agency working. Hegarty’s vehicle was initially stopped by the police and the evidence was then forwarded on to South Gloucestershire Council’s environmental protection team.

“This case shows how important it is to have the right documents if you are carrying waste. Waste crime puts the environment at risk and anyone found to be removing waste illegally will be prosecuted. Anyone transporting waste should ensure that they hold a Registered Waste Carriers Licence and that they comply with the Waste Transfer Note requirements. Residents are advised to only give their rubbish to an Environment Agency registered waste carrier.”

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 via the council’s 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