Fly-tipping cleared and £400 fixed penalty paid

Photo above: At the area cleared of fly-tipping in New Drove, Wisbech. From left, Fenland District Council's Street Scene officer Gemma Newell, Police and Crime Commissioner for Cambridgeshire and Peterborough Darryl Preston, Fenland District Council's Street Scene team leader Layna Warren.

Fenland District Council was awarded funding from Cambridgeshire and Peterborough PCC to clear an area of land in New Drove, Wisbech.

The council's Street Scene team found evidence in the fly-tipping that, following an investigation, led to a £400 fixed penalty notice being issued to an individual, which has now been paid.

Cllr Peter Murphy, Fenland District Council's portfolio holder for Street Scene, said: "This is a great result that has led to a dramatic improvement in the appearance of this area in Wisbech.

"It's also a demonstration of how our Street Scene team will work tirelessly to find the people responsible for fly-tipping and bring them to justice.

"We'd like to thank Cambridgeshire and Peterborough PCC for its support in enabling this outcome."

Fenland District Council's Street Scene team, whose job it is to investigate environmental waste offences, had noted a long-term fly-tipping problem in New Drove - a long road made up of residential and commercial units.

Most of the waste was in a ditch along the boundary of a private field. The council only has official responsibility to clear waste from public highways and its own land but wanted to tackle the issue along with the landowner.

The council secured £1,450 from the PCC's Safer Communities Fund to clear waste from the site where there were also numerous reports of anti-social behaviour.

The council, having sought permission from the landowner, created a soil bund in front of the ditch to make vehicle access more difficult and help prevent future fly tipping.

In the main, waste dumped at the site was household items and large bulky waste, such as carpet and fridges, along with construction waste.

Monitoring since the work was done in October shows a reduction in fly-tipping at the site.

Further works took place in January to clear the opposite side of the field entrance and install signage to deter further fly-tipping.

Photos - Top: The flytipping spor in New Drove, Wisbech, before the clean-up. Below: The area after.

Darryl Preston, Police and Crime Commissioner for Cambridgeshire and Peterborough, said: "I pledged in my Police and Crime Plan to work with partners to tackle issues that matter most to our communities to keep them safe.

"My Safer Communities Fund was created to provide a swift and robust response to crimes like fly-tipping, which is anti-social, environmentally damaging and a crime. I applaud the great work by Fenland District Council Street Scene team, working together to keep our communities safe."

Fly-tipping is a criminal offence that carries an unlimited fine and potential prison sentence.

Fenland District Council takes all fly-tipping reports very seriously.

Find out more via: Our fly-tipping page

The quickest way to report fly-tipping is via online form: Report fly-tipping

January 2023