Waste Issues

What is flytipping?

Flytipping is the illegal dumping of waste. It can vary in scale significantly from a bin bag of rubbish to large quantities of waste dumped from trucks. Fly-tipped waste may be found anywhere, such as roadsides, in lay-bys or on private land.

Flytipping affects us all

• As council tax payers, cleaning up fly tipping costs us all money
• It is dangerous and potentially harmful to you and your family's health
• It spoils our enjoyment of the environment
• It can cause serious pollution to the environment
• It attracts arson and further flytipping
• It can be dangerous for wildlife
Flytipping and Accumulations on Private Land
• If the person responsible for the fly tipping or the owner of the refuse cannot be identified the rubbish becomes the responsibility of the owner(s) of the land.
• Private land includes unadopted alleyways which are the joint responsibility of the owners of all the properties with direct access onto the alleyway.
• If there is an environmental health nuisance, Environmental Health may be in a position to serve statutory notices on the owner(s) of the land or the refuse, if they can be identified.

Flytipping is illegal

Offenders can be:
• Fined up to £20,000 and / or six months imprisonment. 
• Fines are unlimited if the case goes to the county court
• and up to two years imprisonment, and up to five years if hazardous waste is dumped.


Reporting flytipping

If you see someone flytipping or would like to report an area where flytipping has taken place, take note of the following and contact Cannock Chase Council on (01543) 462621:
• Date and time of incident that occurred
• Model, make, registration number and colour of vehicle(s) used by the offender(s)
• Description of the offender(s)
• Description of fly-tipping materials, etc and quantity if possible.
• Do not approach or talk to the offender(s) and do not touch or move fly-tipped materials, etc.
• The Council may wish to prosecute the person fly-tipping and will be keen to use your evidence in court. You are likely to be asked if you would be willing to stand and give evidence in court.