Taxpayers’ money used to clear New Forest after wave of fly-tipping

5:00pm Wednesday 12th September 2012 in News

THOUSANDS of pounds of taxpayers’ money has been spent on cleaning up the New Forest after a spate of illegal dumping.

In the past eight weeks the Forestry Commission has received 80 reports of waste being discarded in the countryside, including fridges, televisions and tyres.

Now Forestry bosses have joined forces with New Forest District Council to tackle the issue.

Gary North, the commission’s recreation manager, said the latest incidents had cost the organisation more than £11,000.

“We are being forced to spend time and resources on clearing and collection rather than investing in conservation activities,” he said.

“Fly-tipping is not only unsightly in such an area of natural beauty but it’s having to be resolved at the taxpayers’ expense.”

Mr North stressed that people who dump rubbish in the countryside were risking prosecution as well as causing damage to wildlife habitats. Edward Heron, the council’s Cabinet member for environment, added: “The council spends about £60,000 each year of taxpayers’ money clearing up an average of 800 fly-tipping incidents in towns and villages.

“Residents should be aware that if they’re caught they could be prosecuted. Even those who let unregistered waste carriers dispose of their rubbish could find themselves in the firing line.”

She added: “I’ve been advised that from time to time there is a rise. The recent increase could be due to the high number of people visiting or using the Forest in the summer months.”

Anyone who witnesses fly-tipping should call police on 101

Comments(10)

The Renegade Master says...
5:09pm Wed 12 Sep 12

Is this really any surprise when the cost of dumping rubbish legally is so high? When the cost of hiring a skip can run into hundreds of pounds? Until these costs are reduced to a sensible price fly tipping is only going to increase.

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Wtfcstevewebs says...
6:25pm Wed 12 Sep 12

The general can help with this big time, I operate a rubbish clearance business and I never NEVER get asked for my Enviroment Agency issue waste carriers licence , when I insist that the customer see it I get the impression that they don't care. Of course the government are not helping at all by increasing landfill taxes all the time, they should be targeting commercial waste and not the householder , also when legislation changes and a certain commodity cannot be landfilled for what ever reason give the people an alternative waste stream instead of staying silent, quite often people just do not know what they can do with certain

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Wtfcstevewebs says...
6:27pm Wed 12 Sep 12

The Renegade Master wrote:
Is this really any surprise when the cost of dumping rubbish legally is so high? When the cost of hiring a skip can run into hundreds of pounds? Until these costs are reduced to a sensible price fly tipping is only going to increase.
Go to gumtree, search for rubbish , Dorset area, pick out the ad which says cheaper than a skip, highly recommended

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oneshortleg says...
6:50pm Wed 12 Sep 12

I do hope they are using covert cameras to record number plates in regular fly tip sites, and signs up to say you maybe on camera!

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madras says...
6:59pm Wed 12 Sep 12

council used to collect bulky items (annual?) which was (excuse the pun) scrapped, presumably to save money. Which surely cannot have helped. And they end up paying anyway!

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pete woodley says...
7:06pm Wed 12 Sep 12

oneshortleg wrote:
I do hope they are using covert cameras to record number plates in regular fly tip sites, and signs up to say you maybe on camera!
They are used by some councils,but do our local ones use them.

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Wtfcstevewebs says...
8:59pm Wed 12 Sep 12

The general can help with this big time, I operate a rubbish clearance business and I never NEVER get asked for my Enviroment Agency issue waste carriers licence , when I insist that the customer see it I get the impression that they don't care. Of course the government are not helping at all by increasing landfill taxes all the time, they should be targeting commercial waste and not the householder , also when legislation changes and a certain commodity cannot be landfilled for what ever reason give the people an alternative waste stream instead of staying silent, quite often people just do not know what they can do with certain

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penhale says...
10:09pm Wed 12 Sep 12

I mentioned this over two years ago, the environmentalists, tree huggers, anoraks and all the other mad groups who profess to want to save the planet are in fact making it worse, councils impose restrictions or high prices for dumping household waste, two weekly bin collections and then an extra charge for taking away garden waste, what do they expect.
Garden waste can be thrown from a car window so there's no need to stop in certain areas, when will everybody learn that if charges are imposed and are too high then fly tipping will take place and it will cost more to clear up than the money raked in by charges, it's not rocket science.

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Phixer says...
8:37am Thu 13 Sep 12

madras wrote:
council used to collect bulky items (annual?) which was (excuse the pun) scrapped, presumably to save money. Which surely cannot have helped. And they end up paying anyway!
It's not 'they' that have to pay but you, me and our tax-paying neighbours.

Tax-payers are being squeezed because the politicians do not put pressure on supermarkets and other industries to reduce waste or deal with our 'throw away' culture.

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elite50 says...
12:25pm Thu 13 Sep 12

There is a simple answer to all this.
Just use all the people that are not quite bad enough to go to prison but need a kick up the rear to remind them that their behaviour is not acceptable to the general public.
Then send them out to clean up, (a) themselves and (b) the others in the community who have not been caught yet!

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