Enforcement officers target environmental crimes at fly-tipping hot spots

Published: 28 September 2021

A new approach to fly-tipping enforcement that highlights environmental crime scenes has begun at hot-spot locations in the city.

Under the new approach, teams of officers move into communities where fly-tipping is known to take place to hunt for evidence that identifies the culprits guilty of illegal dumping.

Using detailed information based on reports from the public and local knowledge gathered by frontline teams, the enforcement teams will treat fly-tipping incidents as environmental crime scenes and create more visible investigations within neighbourhoods. 

Fly-tipping locations will be taped off and notices put up that show the council knows about the specific incidents on public ground and call for local residents and businesses to provide information that helps pin down those responsible for environmental crime. Enforcement officers will also directly engage with those living and working in affected communities to gather evidence that can lead to fixed penalty notices being issued against guilty parties.

The first day of action on the new approach came into effect in the Whiteinch area with incidents on Medwyn St and Northinch St identified for further action. In one case a householder was spoken to by community enforcement officers and in the other a positive line of inquiry was identified.

Councillor Anna Richardson, City Convener for Sustainability and Carbon Reduction, sees the input of local residents and businesses as essential to the success of the scheme.

Councillor Richardson said: "There is a deep frustration within communities that a hardcore minority of people continue to trash the city's environment with fly-tipping. The vast majority of people always dispose of the waste in the right way and treat their surroundings with due care.

"But those who fly-tip have no regard for their environment and have no respect for the concerns of their fellow residents. Tackling these environmental criminals has to be a priority and we can do that with the support of affected communities.

"Local residents and businesses see what goes on in their community and that information can lead directly to enforcement action against fly-tippers. Our enforcement officers will make themselves known and visible in the areas where fly-tippers operate so we can get to the bottom of who is committing these damaging, environmental crimes.

"With the cooperation of communities and neighbourhoods we can take on those who care only for themselves above the needs of everyone else in the city."

Alongside the enforcement surge on days of action, officers will also move into affected areas to ensure local businesses have valid waste disposal contracts in place. Where businesses do not have appropriate measures in place to manager their waste, they will be issued with enforcement notices that gives them 14 days to resolve the situation.

Where fly-tipped waste is found to be on private ground, neighbourhood officers will also seek to identify and contact the landowners to press home the need for them to take responsibility for their sites. Failure by landowners to respond to the reminder of responsibilities will lead to follow-up visits from environmental health staff.

This work enforcement will be carefully monitored over an initial eight week to gauge its effectiveness and this will help to determine how enforcement officers can continue to be deployed for maximum impact.