East Devon District Council cracks down on fly-tipping on Exmouth seafront

Fly-tippers who illegally dumped construction waste in public bins along Exmouth seafront have been fined following an investigation by Environmental Protection officers at East Devon District Council.

Fly-tippers who illegally dumped construction waste in public bins along Exmouth seafront have been fined following an investigation by Environmental Protection officers at East Devon District Council.

At the end of the summer, the council was made aware of multiple incidents where a large amount of waste had been improperly deposited in seafront bins designed for general litter.

Fly-tipping is against the law, negatively impacts the local community, and undermines the hard work of council staff who are committed to maintaining Exmouth's stunning coastline. In this case, the bins had also been damaged and the health of StreetScene staff was put at risk.

As part of its investigation, the council reviewed CCTV footage and received information from council officers and members of the public. It is thought that the fly-tipping activity had been happening several times a week over a nine-month period.

Two offenders were issued with Fixed Penalty Notices for allowing vehicles under their control to be used to fly tip construction waste. They were each ordered to pay £400.

Councillor Geoff Jung, Portfolio Holder Coast, Country and Environment, East Devon District Council, commented: “Fly-tipping is a serious offence that has a detrimental impact on our towns and communities. Public bins are there for small items of everyday waste, not large-scale commercial rubbish which should be disposed of via a licensed company. We will not tolerate fly-tipping, and I would like to thank our officers who are vigilant in monitoring and enforcing waste crime. I hope this example of enforcement action deters others from acting irresponsibly, or they will be held to account.”

Fly-tipped waste can include:

• Household rubbish.
• Large domestic items, e.g. such as fridges and mattresses.
• Garden refuse.
• Dead animals.
• Tyres.
• Clinical waste.

East Devon District Council is responsible for the removal of fly-tipping from council-owned property, Devon County Council highways, roads, pavements and lay-bys. It is the responsibility of landowners to remove fly-tipping from private property

However, the council’s enforcement officers will investigate fly-tipping incidents on public and private land. Any fly-tipping incidents should be reported via the East Devon District Council website: eastdevon.gov.uk/report-fly-tipping.