Fines issued for waste offences

March 9, 2018 by Leigh-on-sea.com

A fly-tipper has been ordered to pay over £800 after being prosecuted by Southend-on-Sea Borough Council enforcement officers.

Sarah Lamb of Blenheim Chase, Leigh-on-Sea, fly-tipped a number of black sacks of household waste in Fossetts Way, Southend-on-Sea on 15^th August 2017. Enforcement Officers discovered evidence of the woman’s name and address among the waste and she was issued a fixed penalty notice of £80, which she failed to pay.

On 21^st February 2018, Southend Magistrates Court fined her £440, ordered her to pay costs of £355 and a Victim Surcharge of £44, bringing the total bill to £839. 

On the same day, magistrates fined Italian take-away restaurant, Mamma Lucia of 86 Sutton Road, Southend-on-Sea, after they failed to pay a fixed penalty notice of £300, which they received for failing to provide paperwork known as a Waste Transfer Notice. This is required in order to demonstrate that commercial waste is being appropriately and legally disposed of. The business was fined £500, costs of £255 and a Victim Surcharge of £50, bringing the total bill to £805.

Cllr Tony Cox, Executive Councillor for Transport, Waste and Regulatory Services, said: “All of us – both residents and businesses – have a duty to dispose of our waste legally.

“Fly-tipped waste harms the local environment, causes a public health hazard and blights the local street scene.

“That’s why we prosecute offenders where we have sufficient evidence. In terms of the fly-tipping case, the size of the fine for what was a relatively small amount of fly-tipped waste demonstrates how seriously the courts take this offence. 

“Similarly, the size of the fine for the take-away shows just how important it is for businesses to dispose of waste appropriately and keep their paperwork in order to show they are meeting their duty of care”

You can find out more about residents’ and businesses’ legal Duty of Care – along with information about other recent prosecutions – at www.southend.gov.uk/wasteenforcement

To read all our other news, please click here