Council ensures fly-tipped waste is rapidly removed from beauty spot

Council staff ensured a full skip’s worth of fly-tipped waste, that was dumped in the grounds of a National Trust property, was quickly cleared.

Rubbish including car parts, plastic containers, black bin bags and empty boxes were all left strewn across a woodland path within the grounds of Wimpole Hall last month.

The fly-tip was reported to the Council’s enforcement team on 17 October, who quickly established that the waste had come from a garage off the A1198 which has been refurbished and turned into a car wash.

The car wash owner, Bashkimv Hyseni, was issued with a £440 Fixed Penalty Notice for failing to ensure he used a properly licensed waste carrier to dispose of the rubbish. This is reduced if paid promptly.

Mr Hyseni also had to arrange and pay for a skip to take the rubbish away from the grounds, which happened the day after the report was received by the Council.

The individuals who physically dumped the waste at Wimpole Hall could not be traced.

Cllr Mark Howell, South Cambridgeshire District Council’s cabinet member for environmental health, said: “Fly-tipping anywhere is totally unacceptable, but it’s especially disgusting when it blights a beauty spot like Wimpole Hall.

“I’m pleased that we’ve been able to help get this waste removed quickly so residents could get back to enjoying this lovely woodland walk, but to be honest I’d much rather it wasn’t dumped there in the first place.

“This is a reminder that, if you’re a business getting rid of substantial amounts of rubbish, you have a duty to ensure you’re using a properly licensed carrier to take it away.

“If not, we won’t hesitate to issue a fine, as we have been forced to do here.”

Jonathan Hughes, General Manager at the Wimpole Estate, National Trust, said: “Fly-tipping continues to be an issue in some remote rural areas and can cause considerable environmental damage to the countryside, as well as being expensive to clear away.

“We’re grateful to South Cambridgeshire District Council’s enforcement team who responded quickly and professionally to get this case resolved.”