Councillor calls for police to raise more awareness of Hertfordshire fly-tip fund

A leading county councillor has called for more to be done to publicise the funding available to clear fly-tipping from private land in Hertfordshire.

During 2020/21 the Office of the Police and Crime Commissioner has made £20,000 available to help clear fly-tipped waste from private or unregistered land.

And so far £9,514 has been used to clear waste from 11 sites, in four different Hertfordshire district or boroughs.

The scheme – which now operates in all 10 districts of the county – was highlighted in a written report to a meeting of the county council’s community safety and waste management cabinet panel on Friday, March 19.

Executive member for community safety and waste management Cllr Terry Hone welcomed the ongoing support for the scheme.

But he questioned whether enough was being done to highlight the funding’s availability.

Cllr Hone told the meeting: “I was pleased that the police and crime commissioner was making some money available for various things – including fly-tipping on private land.

“The uptake of it is sometimes quite weak. I don’t think we publicise it enough. Certainly the police need to publicise more that that is available.”

Cllr Hone also suggested that the officials from the county’s district and borough councils – who are often involved in the clearing up of fly-tipped waste – should make it clear to landowners that the fund is available.

According to the written report – submitted to the cabinet panel by OPCC chief executive Chris Brace – during 2020/21 funds have already been awarded to remove five fly-tips in East Herts, three in North Herts, two in Broxbourne and one in Watford.

Among the items fly-tipped at the sites were white goods, other household waste, asbestos, vehicle pars, tyres, construction and demolition materials, as well as other commercial and household waste.

According to the report the pilot scheme is also supporting efforts to improve the prevention of fly-tipping.

“The Rural Support Team ensure intelligence opportunities are gathered at the scene before a clearance,” says the report.

“They also carry out a Crime Prevention Assessment and make recommendations for target hardening opportunities to secure the land.”

The report also acknowledges an increase in fly-tipping on private land since the implementation of lockdown restrictions.

Following the meeting a spokesperson for the Office of the Police and Crime Commissioner for Hertfordshire acknowledged the support expressed for the scheme.

He said: “It is good to hear the panel have recognised the success of our Fly tipping Fund for Private Land scheme.

“Landowners and business in Hertfordshire are among those few in the country who can apply to have rubbish dumped on their land, cleared up for free.

“Since the scheme was set up several years ago, it has gone from strength to strength and now all ten councils in the county are signed up to it. Plus it has been expanded to include claims on unregistered land.

“The availability of the fund is widely publicised in the local press and social media, with regular reports of successful clear-ups.

“Council officers dealing with and investigating fly tipping are also aware of the fund.”

You can find further information about the PCC’s Fly-Tipping on Private Land Pilot online.