Anyone strolling through Parliament Street today (Friday) will have been confronted with a huge pile of rubbish.
An old fridge freezer and microwave, a mattress, crates and even a Christmas tree were piled up in York’s busiest street.
The mini garbage mountain was there to get a serious message across for residents. Collude in fly-tipping and you could get a criminal record.
[arve url=”https://youtu.be/zZjiLR5VMuc” title=”Video: Talking rubbish on Parliament Street” /]
In 2016/17 City of York Council dealth with 1,518 incidents of fly tipping at a cost of £65,087.
The council is reminding residents and businesses that by law, their waste is their responsibility and must be disposed of safely and legally, otherwise they face a significant fine.
Executive member for the environment Cllr Andrew Waller said: “Flytipping damages the environment, and costs the council a great deal in resolving, looks terrible and can harm wildlife.
“We take it very seriously and so carry out regular enforcement action with the police and prosecute illegal carriers.”
How to be safe
To ensure waste is legally disposed of, ask the carrier for their name and address.
Check their licence here or by calling the Environment Agency on 03708 506 506.
If they’re on the database, they can be used.
If they’re not, please report them to [email protected] so the council can investigate.
When the licensed carrier collects the waste, ask for a receipt with their name, address and vehicle registration number on it. The waste’s originator can be prosecuted if it is fly-tipped.
A waste carrier’s license is valid for three years, costs £154 and can be applied for here.