Published Thursday 1 July 2021 at 10:57
Two residents have been hit with hefty fines after irresponsibly disposing of their waste and business waste in Blackburn with Darwen.
Mr Shehzaad Laher failed to ensure that the transfer of his business waste was to an authorised person, or to a person for authorised transport purposes, and that he failed in obtaining and retaining documentation with regard to the disposal of his business waste.
This resulted in controlled waste being deposited on Brokenstone Road in Blackburn, with further investigation revealing that the waste in question had come from a food establishment within the borough.
Mr Laher appeared in court on the 22nd June and pleaded guilty, resulting in a total fine of £1002.
Mr Dave Chadburn knowingly permitted controlled waste to be deposited on land in the Patterdale Avenue/Ennerdale Avenue area of Blackburn, without the necessary waste permits.
On three separate occasions, garden waste was deposited from a vehicle onto land. Both CCTV footage and a witness statement from a local resident was used to obtain a successful prosecution.
Mr Chadburn also pleaded guilty, and was ordered to pay a total of £440.
If you intend to employ someone to remove or dispose of your waste, then they need to be licensed to do so.
Waste carriers licenses are obtained via the Environment Agency. You can check via their website if someone is authorised.
Although many waste removal companies have a waste carrier’s license, this doesn’t always mean they are disposing of waste responsibly or legally.
In order to be absolutely certain that they are, you should obtain a waste transfer note and details of where the waste is being taken to for disposal.
We urge all residents to please ensure that any waste removal service they use is reputable, otherwise you are also liable for a fine.
Councillor Jim Smith, Executive Member for Environment at Blackburn with Darwen Borough Council, said:
As a resident or business owner, you are the one responsible for making sure that your waste is disposed of correctly and safely.
It is completely unfair on the majority of our residents, who take pride in their borough and dispose of waste responsibly, to deal with fly-tipping across Blackburn with Darwen.
We are making it very clear that the Council does not tolerate this behaviour – so please do get in touch with us if you can’t manage your waste and need advice or assistance and we can help you!
If you fly-tip, we are left with no option but to prosecute.
Our household waste recycling centres are open over a seven day period in Blackburn and Darwen, so there really is no excuse.
I would like to thank our Environmental Waste Crime team for their hard work and dedication in bringing forward this prosecution.
I would also especially like to thank the resident who submitted CCTV footage and a witness statement, allowing us to prosecute Mr Chadburn.
The support of our community is invaluable in helping us fine those responsible for creating unsightly mess across our borough.
If you would like to report a waste crime, please visit www.blackburn.gov.uk/fly-tipping.
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/fly-tipping.
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.