What is fly tipping and what are the penalties?
Fly tipping is the dumping of items on any land that is not a licensed waste site.
On-the-spot fixed penalty fines of £300 can be issued where one or more domestic bags of waste are dumped; this is aimed at tackling low-level domestic fly-tipping. For more serious offences, involving larger scale fly-tipping such as builder’s rubble, unwanted furniture or a large number of bags, perpetrators will be prosecuted. Fly tipping is an offence that carries an unlimited fine or up to five years imprisonment.
The police and local authorities also have the power to seize vehicles which have been used in fly tipping.
Reporting a fly tip
If you witness fly tipping in progress call 999 and report this to the police.
If you find a fly tip, don’t call the police, report it to us. You can help by recording as much information as possible. For example:
- Date and time you saw the rubbish and how long you believe it may have been there for
- Where it is: a road name (please include the nearest junction or house number), what 3 words location or any significant landmarks to help us find it easily.
- Description of the rubbish: builders waste, household waste, furniture etc.
- Any CCTV opportunities from nearby buildings
Where possible we will investigate reports of fly tipping to try to find out who is responsible, as well as remove any waste which is dumped on council land. If waste is dumped on private land we will investigate who is responsible for leaving it there, but it is the landowner’s responsibility to dispose of the waste.
We advise anyone who finds waste dumped on private land not to remove any evidence especially letters, envelopes or bills with an address on them. Leave them where they are and we will attend as soon as possible to retrieve them.
Preventing fly tipping
Did you know you can be prosecuted even if you didn’t dump the waste? It is vital if you are having items/waste removed from your home, you use licensed waste carriers, in order to help prevent fly tipping.
If you don’t and the person you’ve employed dumps the waste illegally, then you could be prosecuted.
Learn to S.C.R.A.P!
Always use a registered waste carrier to collect your rubbish. Check if a someone is registered on the Environment Agency's website.
The Hertfordshire Fly Tipping Group is a multi-agency task force which includes Hertfordshire Constabulary, Hertfordshire Fire & Rescue; the Environment Agency, the Office of the Police & Crime Commissioner, all of the district and borough councils in Hertfordshire and the National Farmers Union now working together to tackle fly tipping across Hertfordshire.
How to dispose of your waste
We have a small number of local recycling banks around the borough where you can recycle clothes/shoes and small electrical items and batteries. For other items, please take them to your local Recycling Centre.
We also offer a bulky item removal service.
Vehicle seized by Hertsmere Borough Council on 19.03.2020.
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