Devizes business issued with multiple fixed penalty notices for fly-tipping

Wiltshire Council has issued multiple fixed penalty notices (FPNs) to a business in Devizes that has been illegally disposing of its commercial waste.

The business was issued with three FPNs totalling £1,600; £1,000 for illegally disposing of waste at the Devizes household recycling centre (HRC), £300 for failing to produce a waste carriers licence and £300 for failing to produce waste transfer documents.

The council's enforcement team started an investigation following reports of the business owner using a domestic vehicle to dispose of their commercial waste on multiple occasions. Evidence was provided to the team by operatives who manage the site.

The owner also failed to provide waste transfer notes for their business waste and was interviewed under caution. The person stated that they did not have any formal waste collections in place for waste produced by the business and any waste that needed to be discarded was either deposited in their household waste and recycling bins or taken to the HRC. They also didn't have a valid waste carriers licence to transport the waste.

As FPNs are not a conviction in court, the business cannot be named.

Cllr Nick Holder, Cabinet Member for Highways and Street Scene, said: We're continuing our mission to tackle illegal dumping of waste here in Wiltshire, and educating people is a part of that.

Businesses have a legal duty to ensure that their waste is handled properly by licensed waste carriers, especially if they are giving it to someone else to dispose of. In this case, it was a requirement for the business to have the appropriate waste licence and transfer notes as they were transporting the waste themselves.

Businesses pay a non-domestic business rate which does not include waste collections, as the types and quantities of waste produced by businesses vary significantly. A charge to all businesses wouldn't be fair as those who produce little waste would end up paying for those who produce a lot.

Our We're Targeting Fly-tippers (WTF) Stop at Source (SAS) campaign highlights the importance of having the correct documentation including a waste carriers licence and waste transfer documents.

It's vital that businesses have an appropriate waste plan in place to ensure they're not fly-tipping in our beautiful county.

To find out more about how the council is tackling fly-tipping in Wiltshire and how to report fly-tipping, people should visit Fly-tipping