£1,040 costs for jet wash fly tipper from west York

Dumping waste at two service stations’ jet washes has resulted in a van driver being ordered to pay £1,040 by York Magistrates.

On 9 February 2017, Nathan Lofthouse, (aged 28 of Askham Croft, York) used a hand-held jet wash at the Inner Space Station, Hull Road, York, to clean his trailer. Having spent over an hour there, he drove away leaving behind bagged and loose wood and rubble, which took the business over an hour to clear away.

On 12 February 2017, Nathan Lofthouse visited the Co-op Texaco service station, Boroughbridge Road, York in a white Ford Luton van, to use their jet wash because of a spillage of paint in the back. He was seen on CCTV removing tins of paint, buckets and a metal box and put them by the jet wash. Mr Lofthouse spent two hours at the jet wash, during which time he was asked twice to make sure he removed the waste. Upon leaving, Mr Lofthouse left the waste behind.

Mr Lofthouse was interviewed about the two fly tipping offences by council officers in April 2017. He admitted both, claiming he had left the waste at the Inner Space Station by accident, whilst he said his visit to the Co-op Texaco garage was an emergency as he had been distracted by the paint spillage.

Mr Lofthouse was asked to pay a fixed penalty notice however after several reminders, they remained unpaid.

On Tuesday 2 January 2018, Mr Lofthouse attended York Magistrates Court and pleaded guilty to both offences. He was sentenced to a total fine of £410 for both offences, costs of £600 and a court surcharge of £30.

In court, Mr Lofthouse claimed that both offences were an oversight by him, that he went back after a few days, and that as everything had been cleared away he’d lost money as some items were valuable.

Cllr Andrew Waller, interim deputy leader and executive member for the environment, said: “Dumping waste on a business’s property for them to bear the cost of cleaning up is unacceptable. That some of the materials were contaminants makes it worse.

“For information on commercial waste go to www.york.gov.uk/waste or the Environment Agency at www.gov.uk/guidance/access-the-public-register-for-environmental-information. To report fly-tipping or illegal waste disposal please contact neo.york.gov.uk .”

100 hours community service for theft and unlicensed scrap dealing

As part of the council’s drive to prevent fly-tipping by ensuring waste carriers are licensed, on Tuesday (21 November) a scrap metal dealer was prosecuted for stealing two items from a house and for being unlicensed.

In May 2017, a council officer witnessed Christopher Smith, aged 48 of James Street, York, enter a garden, take a vacuum cleaner and a steam cleaner and put them into the back of the van he was driving. When challenged, he claimed it was his aunt’s home and became abusive. On checking it was found that his aunt did not live there.

In July 2017, Mr Smith was stopped by neighbourhood enforcement officers as he was using a vehicle loaded with scrap metal. The van had no scrap metal dealers licence on display and Mr Smith refused to answer questions at the time. Further investigation found that his licence with City of York Council had expired in March 2017 and he had failed to respond to reminders from the council’s licensing team.

Mr Smith failed to attend interview or respond to questions under caution about the offence of carrying waste without a scrap metal dealers licence or a waste carrier licence, both of which are legal requirements.

At York Magistrates Court on Tuesday 21 November 2017, Mr Smith pleaded guilty to one offence of theft, one offences of transporting controlled waste without a waste carrier licence, operating as an unlicensed scrap metal dealer, failing to provide information about business waste being carried and disposed of.

Mitigation offered to the court included a claim that the theft was opportunistic. Further mitigation offered was that at the time, Mr Smith was showing the ropes of the family business to his son to whom he was handing it over, and that it would be his son who would apply for a dealers licence in the future. Mr Smith claimed too that he was illiterate so could not keep records or read enforcement letters. He is now working for a delivery company.

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Waste dealer faces prison for flytipping in Thoresby Road area in York

A waste dealer who claimed to be properly licenced was yesterday (8th November) found guilty of 19 charges of illegal collection and waste disposal, including dumping asbestos.

He awaits sentencing on 21 December 2017 when he faces being sent to prison.

In February and March 2017, 13 incidents of fly tipping were found on verges, alleys, in a playing field and on a private drive, in the Thoresby Road area. The waste was from bathroom refits by a plumbing firm, which had employed who they believed was a licenced scrap and waste collector.

The firm paid Mr Pipes in cash to remove the waste which included old toilets and baths, tiles and timber. In a rubble bag, a receipt was found by an estate worker, who reported the tips to the council’s neighbourhood enforcement team. They traced the waste back to the plumbing firm, and Mr Pipes failed to provide proper paperwork, evidence of a waste carrier’s licence or a scrap metal dealer’s licence.

In March and April 2017 Mr Pipes and his van were seen four times – and were photographed – disposing of large amounts of waste in a litter bin at Beech Grove, Acomb.

Mr Pipes entered a guilty plea of fly tipping around York, carrying waste and scrap without the relevant licences and failing to produce proper paperwork for the disposal of waste.

The movement of waste is regulated to ensure that it does not cause pollution and is treated safely at every stage. All businesses which produce waste must keep paperwork to prove how they dispose of waste and council officers will investigate carrying and disposal.

Cllr Andrew Waller, executive member for the environment, said: “The punishment imposed by York Crown Court reflects the severity of these offences. Fly-tipping is unsightly, anti-social, can pollute the land it’s dumped on and creates considerable cost for City of York Council to clear. Anyone with a business which buys or sells scrap metal must register as a dealer with every local authority where they wish to operate, and in addition, anyone carrying waste must register with the Environment Agency.

“While they are responsible for safe disposal, people who hire them must also check the carriers are properly licensed or they themselves could risk a criminal record.”

For information on commercial waste and residents’ responsibilities go to www.york.gov.uk/waste or visit the Environment Agency at www.gov.uk/guidance/access-the-public-register-for-environmental-information. To report fly-tipping, illegal waste disposal or concerns about waste dealer’s licencing, please contact neo.york.gov.uk .

Vandalism problems growing in City in run up to bonfire night

There seems to be an even greater increase in anti social behaviour problems in the City this year as “bonfire” night approaches.

We’ve reported damage to street furniture, trespass and misuse of moped during the last week.

Insecure Multi User Games Area on Kingsway West reported for the second time in 4 weeks.

A burnt out picnic table has been removed by Council. Th table was funded by contributions from local residents.

Hope for a tidy up of the little Green Lane garage area?

Not vandalism, but a dumped microwave doesn’t improve the environment

Total £1,050 costs for ‘man with van’ who fly-tipped

Showing that fly-tipping doesn’t pay, a ‘man with a van’ who dumped domestic waste in a field’s gateway was yesterday (Tuesday 10 October) fined a total £1,057 by York Magistrates.

Adam Winterburn, aged 29 of Kingsmoor Road, Stockton on the Forest, pleaded guilty and was given a £307 fine, a £30 court surcharge and £720.45 prosecution costs.

A resident who posted on Facebook for a ‘man with a van’ to remove some rubbish from an address in Haxby was privately messaged by Winterburn offering to take the waste to the tip for £35. He said he couldn’t do it for any less as the household waste recycling centre would cost him around £15.

He warned the customer to make sure there was nothing in the waste with their name and address on it, claiming that other clearance people would take her waste and fly tip it, and that she would be the one who got the blame. Winterburn collected the waste later that day and was paid £35 in cash.

Days later, the waste was found dumped in the entrance to a field in Dunnington. Evidence was found linking the waste to the address in Haxby and the resident produced screenshots of all the messages from Winterburn.

Although Winterburn telephoned the council moments before his first interview to say that he wouldn’t be attending, a second interview date was arranged with him on the telephone and he failed to attend that too. He also failed to respond to any correspondence from the council.

Cllr Andrew Waller, interim deputy leader and executive member for environment, said: “Being licensed to collect, carry and dispose of waste is a legal requirement. Fly-tipping is unsightly, risks pollution and clearing it up creates costs for local council tax payers. Please check your waste carrier is properly licensed.

For information on commercial waste and residents’ responsibilities go to www.york.gov.uk/waste or visit the Environment Agency at www.gov.uk/guidance/access-the-public-register-for-environmental-information.

Action to tackle fly tipping problems in west York as litter clearing falters

The Council has erected new notices on the Beaconsfield Street area aimed at tackling waste management issues

Meanwhile elsewhere an increasing number of litter complaints seem to be delayed in the Councils system.

The expectation is that litter reports will be addressed within 5 days of being reported but many have exceeded that timescale recently.

It is unclear why this problem has arisen as no Council explanation has been given.

Litter reported on the Tedder Road Park a month ago has still not been cleared

 

 

£600 fines for illegal waste disposal in west York

Two people from York have been fined a total of £600 after pleading guilty to running an unregulated waste business without the relevant licences, and illegally dumping the waste they collected.

Broad Lane

At York Magistrates Court on 23 August 2017, Leigh Garside, aged 26 of Roache Avenue, York was fined £450 and was ordered to pay £250 in costs and a court surcharge of £45.

Paige Greenwood, aged 24 of Heathside, York was fined £150 and told to pay £200 in costs and a £30 court surcharge.

Both failed to turn up to an earlier hearing which resulted in a warrant being issued for their arrest.

On 29 December 2016, two residents responded to a Facebook post by Paige Greenwood offering to remove waste from their properties. She arranged for her partner Leigh Garside to remove the waste in a white unmarked van and was paid £10 on both occasions.

Investigating a complaint about fly tipping on Broad Lane, Upper Poppleton, officers found labels on waste boxes giving the address of one of the residents who had paid for the collection.

On 27January 2017, notices were served on Mr Garside to produce copies of his waste carrier’s licence and evidence of lawful disposal of waste that he had collected in the last two years. He couldn’t do either.

Ms Greenwood admitted posting messages on Facebook but hadn’t ensured that Mr Garside was a registered waste carrier, while Mr Garside admitted to dumping waste in Broad Lane, Upper Poppleton, to carrying waste without a licence and failing to produce information about waste and other environmental offences.

Mr Garside told investigators that he was unaware of the requirements and that he dumped the waste on a pile already there thinking that it wouldn’t make any difference.

Andrew Waller, executive councillor with responsibility for the environment, said:
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Fly tipping on Bradley Drive amongst issues reported today

Broken branch on tree overhanging the Walker Drive snicket. Reported by Cllr Sheena Jackson

Black bag dumped next to bin on Gale lane

Cllr Sheena Jackson has asked for this fly tipping to be cleared from Bradley Drive

Bushes on Askham Lane near the A1237 are forcing pedestrians to walk on the highway. We have asked for the bushes to be removed,.

Undergrowth is causing sight line problems for motorists leaving Otterwood Lane

Anyone lost a bed?

Bed found in Acomb Wood Meadow

Mattresses and other items were dumped at the entrance to Acomb Wood Meadow – near Linnet Way – a few weeks ago.

In the past, the York Council has dealt with fly tipping at this location.

No more, it seems, as they claim that Accent Housing – who own the properties on Bellwood Drive and Linnet Way – also own the snicket entry to the meadow. So its private land and not the responsibility of the Council to keep clean.

That came as news to Accent’s estate manager.

Now the Housing Association and local authority are engaged in a “not me gov” type wrangle.

The dumping is occurring on a protected area which is an important foraging ground for local wildlife. It complements the adjacent Acomb Wood.

Sadly fly tipping has been increasing since the monthly skip service stopped in York in April. Despite many promises a new programme fo skips has not been procured yet.

I’t about time all those involved got their acts together.