MORE than 100 reports of ‘industrial scale’ fly-tipping has resulted in Barnsley Council clearing an estimated 4,000 dumped tyres in the last year, the Chronicle can reveal.
Enforcement officers tasked with ridding the borough of fly-tipped waste have identified about 20 companies in Barnsley dealing in worn tyres, from both cars and HGVs, after a probe was launched due to a rise in related clean-ups.
Paul Castle, service director for the environment for the council, told the Chronicle: “In the last financial year, which looks at dates from April 2018 to March 2019, we cleared about 4,000 tyres from 105 reports.
“That’s an average of 38 per tip, but we’ve seen large-scale cases in Tankersley, Cawthorne, Brierley and Shafton where there’s been up to 300 tyres left behind.
“The disposal cost isn’t that high - it’s cost about £4,000 -as we work with a company, Credential Environmental, that specialises in recycling tyres which are then used for cement and fuel.
“Our concern is that the vast majority of tyre businesses are decent, law-abiding firms and they’re tarred with the same brush as the ones who are clearly dumping them illegally.
“That’s why we’re contacting every registered tyre-related business in Barnsley in the hope that they put pressure on the cowboys who are responsible.”
According to the council, about 2,500 fly-tipping reports were made between April and December in 2018, 115 of which included loads dumped on private land.
Although the council will foot the bill if the waste is dumped on their land - which costs them an estimated £250,000 per year - private landowners are responsible for any clear-up costs incurred on theirs and some tyres have been dumped on farmers’ fields.
A forum - which will be open to landowners and involve council bosses tasked with dealing with fly-tipping - will be set up to encourage information sharing and preventative measures in which incidents can be reduced.
Dave North, chairman of Shafton Parish Council, added: “Our village has had its fair share of large-scale tyre incidents, particularly on a dead-end road off Brierley Road’s roundabout near Outwood Academy.
“The amount we’ve seen in one load suggests they’ve been dropped off by one HGV, so that narrows down the market of who could be responsible.
“It’s not rocket science and it’s a business who specialises in this in Barnsley.
“It’s good news that the firms which specialise in tyres are being targeted as hopefully that’ll make the majority act against the minority.”
Barnsley Council say ordinary household waste found in fly-tips can be full of evidence - something that’s not the case with dumped tyres.
“We scour household-type waste that we find but it’s not possible to do that with tyres,” Mr Castle added. “However, dealing with fly-tipping in Barnsley remains a high priority as we’re receiving more reports.
“This time of the year is a particular hotspot and we’ll continue to do all we can to stop this from blighting the borough.”
