SPOT CHECKS on vehicles saw nearly £3,000 of fines issued after a crackdown on fly-tipping in Wokingham borough.
The council’s safety and enforcement team worked with Thames Valley Police and the Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency to conduct an unannounced “stop check” operation at the Pinewood Centre near Crowthorne on Thursday, June 15.
They stopped 78 vans, lorries and other vehicles and found several had either failed in their legal duty of care when carrying waste or were being driven in a dangerous and unroadworthy condition.
Nine fixed penalty notices of £300 were issued to carriers transporting waste without a licence from the Environment Agency – if they had fly-tipped, the customer could be held liable as well as the firm.
Thirteen vehicles received prohibition notices for faults such as overloading the vehicle, having defective tyres and a leaking fuel tank. Two vehicles were found to have no MOT, while one driver had no insurance.
Cllr Ian Shenton, executive member for environment, sport and leisure on Wokingham Borough Council was pleased with the results.
{{{image.761150}}}
“The shocking fact that we found nine vehicles carrying waste without a licence in just a few hours should remind our residents and businesses to be very careful who they’re hiring,” he said.
“Everyone has a duty of care, and if we find out you employed someone who later fly-tipped then you’ll be held equally responsible and penalised alongside them. It’s quick and easy to check, so it’s not worth the risk of neglecting to do this.”
Anyone considering hiring someone is strongly advised to ask for their permit number and confirm it is listed before proceeding, as they could be breaking the law and risk a fixed penalty notice if their waste isn’t managed properly.
Residents are also reminded that leaving waste outside charity shops when they are closed, or dumping household waste in or near street litter bins, is also fly-tipping and the council has recently issued penalties for this.
