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• ENJOY CHRISTMAS - BUT PLEASE DEAL WITH THE MESS SENSIBLY!

ENJOY CHRISTMAS - BUT PLEASE DEAL WITH THE MESS SENSIBLY!

As residents in the Cotswolds prepare for the festive season, it is inevitable that celebrations will generate higher volumes of waste than normal. 

While Cotswold District Council anticipates that the vast majority of the local public will heed advice about disposing of their rubbish safely, it is concerned that con artists may be dumping rubbish illegally while posing as respectable waste disposal contractors.

Following a very successful stop and search exercise in October which helped crack down on fly tipping on public land, the council feels that many residents have a much better awareness of the potential harm to the environment caused by this practice. Quite a few have identified eyesores arising from illegal dumping and have assisted environment wardens in tracking down the culprits.   

Scott Williams, Waste Service Manager at Cotswold District Council commented: "We are pleased that this important message about the dangers of fly tipping is getting through, and would like to thank residents for their terrific response so far.  But we now want to highlight another concern – the unscrupulous individuals who may be offering unwitting residents a disposal service which contravenes the law."

Scott continued: "Householders are obliged by law to dispose of their waste properly, and many do not realise that they share liability when they place their trust in a contractor who dumps it illegally. They can protect themselves easily by doing a quick check on the Environment Agency website, which will list all licensed carriers in their locality.  If the contractor isn’t listed – don’t use them.

"Nobody wants to see residents receiving an unwelcome Christmas present in the form of a hefty fine. So the message is clear – don’t fly tip and don’t trust waste carriers who aren’t licensed."

Notes:

Licensed waste carriers can be viewed on a regional basis on the Environment Agency website - http://www2.environment-agency.gov.uk/epr/?lang=_e

On 7 October 2009, Cotswold District Council officers worked alongside Gloucestershire Police, the Vehicle and Operator Services Agency (VOSA) and Trading Standards as part of a random stop and search exercise in Siddington, near Cirencester.  

The exercise examined drivers’ documents and vehicle roadworthiness and warned drivers of their responsibilities regarding the transportation and disposal of waste and the zero tolerance policy on fly tipping.