Wiltshire Council issues £3,000 in fly-tipping fines to local businesses and residents

Wiltshire Council has continued its zero-tolerance approach to fly-tipping by issuing a total of £3,000 in fixed penalty notices to a Salisbury business, an Amesbury business, and a resident from Hilperton.

On August 1st, Enforcement Officers responded to an ongoing waste issue at St Pauls roundabout in Salisbury. During their visit, two black bags were discovered by the exit of the layby, directly under a sign warning against fly-tipping. A local business was issued a £1,000 FPN for fly-tipping after a thorough investigation.

In Amesbury, another business received a £1,000 FPN after it was found to be using public litter bins to dispose of its commercial waste, avoiding the legitimate waste disposal costs. Business owners must take all reasonable steps to ensure their waste is collected, stored and disposed of lawfully. All waste should be collected by a registered waste carrier authorised to collect commercial waste and then disposed of at an authorised site. Businesses must also ensure that they accurately describe the waste when it is transferred to another person with a waste transfer note.

On 9th September, a Hilperton resident was fined £1,000 for fly-tipping after household waste was discovered on Warminster Old Road in Upton Scudamore. The waste was traced back to the resident, who admitted to abandoning the waste in a ditch during her journey to the tip, following concerns about having maggots in her vehicle.

FPNs are not a conviction in court, so the businesses or the resident cannot be named.

Cllr Nick Holder, Cabinet Member for Highways, Street Scene and Flooding, said: “These three penalties demonstrate our Business Plan commitment to keeping Wiltshire clean and safe. Fly-tipping not only harms our environment but also places a costly burden on us as a council. We will continue to act against those who disregard their waste disposal responsibilities.

“Businesses must understand their duty of care in managing waste. Proper waste storage and disposal not only supports community cleanliness but is also a legal requirement. We’re Targeting Fly-tippers in Wiltshire, and failure to comply means we will take action and issue penalties against those who dump waste in our beautiful county.”

Wiltshire Council encourages residents and businesses to report fly-tipping incidents and, through the Stop at Source (SAS) campaign, reminds people to always use licensed waste carriers to ensure that household or business waste is disposed of correctly.

To report fly-tipping and to find out more about the council’s SAS campaign, people should go to www.wiltshire.gov.uk/fly-tipping