Published Monday 7 June 2021 at 13:08
Residents who have failed to properly dispose of unsightly and inconsiderate waste have been ordered to pay £1176 in court fines and charges.
In three of the four cases brought by Blackburn with Darwen Council, waste was being irresponsibly deposited at the rear of houses and not placed in an authorised receptacle.
All three of these defendants pleaded guilty to the charges.
Two of these prosecutions are also linked to the same address, due to both occupants of the house being liable.
The defendants were summonsed to appear before Blackburn Magistrates after ignoring calls to take action by the council.
In the fourth case, Mr Dean Scott was charged £419 for fly-tipping waste from his vehicle in the Highercroft area.
You can find the full prosecution details for each individual case below.
Councillor Jim Smith, Executive Member for Environment at Blackburn with Darwen Borough Council, said:
We’re making it very clear that the Council will not tolerate rubbish being disposed of irresponsibly across our borough.
Our household waste recycling centres are open over a seven day period in Blackburn and Darwen, so there really is no excuse for dumping rubbish out of your vehicle or letting waste pile up.
Most residents take pride in and look after their surrounding areas and homes, and we thank them for this – however, we will do everything in our power to take action against those who don’t.
If you can’t manage your waste and need advice or assistance when it comes to removing it, please do get in touch and ask for help.
For a small fee starting from just £7.50, you can have an old bed or fridge removed safely and responsibly – that’s a fraction of what it costs to buy a new one!
I would like to thank our Environmental Waste Crime team for their hard work and dedication in bringing forward these prosecutions, as well as all members of the public who report waste offences to us.
Last year, the Environmental Waste Crime team received payment for 66 fixed penalty notices and handled 49 prosecutions, despite a sustained period of suspension to court services due to the pandemic.
Please help us stop waste crimes by reporting them via the Council website: https://www.blackburn.gov.uk/waste-and-recycling
The Council is also committed to educating and informing residents on the correct ways to responsibly dispose of waste, and the Environment and Waste team have employed an Education Officer to lead on this task.
Visit www.recyclebwd.org to find lots of helpful information, including what items go in what bin, tips and tricks when it comes to household rubbish and translated video guides. The website can also be accessed in many different languages.
Residents should also make use of our two Household Waste Recycling Centres, open over a seven day period in Blackburn and Darwen. Or, if you’re struggling to remove bulky waste yourself, then book via our waste collection service – please DO NOT fly-tip or leave your items in back alleys.
Full Prosecution Details
Name of defendant: Mr Dean Scott
Address of defendant: Manxman Road, Blackburn
Date of offence: 11 April 2020
Date of court case: 18 May 2021
Details of charge: Knowingly deposited controlled waste, from a vehicle on land in the Highercroft area without the necessary waste permits.
Plea: Guilty.
Fine: £300.00
Costs: £85.00
Victim Surcharge: £34.00
TOTAL £419.00
Name: Miss Reggi Caterina
Address of defendant: Saunders Road, Blackburn
Date of offence: 17 November 2020
Date of court case: 18 May 2021
Details of charge: Miss Caterina failed to take all reasonable steps to ensure household waste produced by Saunders Road is disposed of by an authorised person or persons authorised for transport purposes.
Plea: Guilty
Fine: £100.00
Costs: £85.00
Victim Surcharge: £34.00
TOTAL £219.00
Name of defendant: Mrs Isobella Martini Magliomi
Address of defendant: Saunders Road, Blackburn
Date of offence: 17 November 2020
Date of court case: 18 May 2021
Details of charge: Mrs Magliomi failed to take all reasonable steps to ensure household waste produced by Saunders Road is disposed of by an authorised person or persons authorised for transport purposes.
Plea: Guilty
Fine: £100.00
Costs: £85.00
Victim Surcharge: £34.00
TOTAL £219.00
Name of defendant: Mr Patrick Lawrence
Address of defendant: Bedford Street, Blackburn
Date of offence: 10 December 2020
Date of court case – 18 May 2021
Details of the charge – Mr Lawrence failed to take all reasonable steps to ensure household waste produced by Bedford Street is disposed of by an authorised person or persons authorised for transport purposes.
Plea: Guilty
Fine: £200.00
Costs: £85.00
Victim Surcharge: £34.00
TOTAL £319.00