FLY-TIPPERS have been warned their behaviour will not be tolerated in Barnsley following a council investigation which led to a woman being convicted in court - after she admitted dumping waste on her own street.
Neighbourhood wardens investigated a report of fly-tipping after a quantity of household waste was disposed of in an alleyway on Milgate Street, Royston.
Enquiries led to 33-year-old Zoe Milner, who lives on the street, being identified as the person responsible.
Having failed to attend an earlier hearing, a warrant for arrest was issued on April 22, which resulted in Milner being subsequently arrested before she appeared at Barnsley Magistrates’ Court last week.
Anna Hartley, executive director for public health and communities at the council, said: “We will not tolerate environmental crime and fly-tipping being a blight on our borough and our communities.
“With the help and support of the wider public, we will identify and prosecute offenders which can be seen in this case.
“I’d like to thank our neighbourhood wardens, the ‘Safer Communities’ team and our litigation team for their assistance in this prosecution to send out another strong message against fly-tipping and environmental crime in Barnsley.”
Milner entered a guilty plea to the offence of fly-tipping under Section 33 of the Environmental Protection Act 1990 and as a result was fined £80 and ordered to pay a victim surcharge of £32.
However, the sentence - which magistrates said could be paid back at a rate of just £5 per week - has been blasted for not being tough enough by campaigners.
According to Keep Britain Tidy, sentencing guidelines should be re-thought in a bid to allow magistrates to impose larger penalties to deter people from offending.
Allison Ogden-Newton OBE, chief executive, said: “It is time for the public and our justice system to say ‘enough is enough’ and tackle the selfish vandals who are trashing our environment for profit.
“Judges must help by using the considerable sentencing powers they have to order hefty fines and even jail fly-tippers when they are caught.
“Environmental crime is not a victimless crime - we are all victims of it.
“There is no excuse for fly-tipping, it is illegal and those who do it must be held to account.”
Figures from the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA) revealed there were 4,404 fly-tipping incidents in Barnsley in the year to March 2023 - a slight decrease from 4,549 in 2021/22.
However, just 42 fixed penalty notices were issued from those reports - less than one per cent of the total - and the waste cost taxpayers more than £250,000 to remove.
Darren Rodwell, environment spokesperson for the Local Government Association, added: “Fly-tipping is inexcusable - it’s not only an eyesore for residents but a serious public health risk, creating pollution and attracting rats and other vermin.
“We continue to urge the government to review sentencing guidelines for fly-tipping, so that offenders are given bigger fines for more serious offences to act as a deterrent.”
