Fly Tipping Clearance Richmond upon Thames

The Brief · Richmond upon Thames

Fly Tipping Clearance for Richmond upon Thames

In Richmond upon Thames, who clears a fly-tip depends on where it lands. The council removes dumped waste from public highways and from parks it manages, and aims to do so within five working days of a report. Shared alleyways, private access roads and garage blocks are different. The council counts them as private land, so the owner or occupier is responsible for clearing them. So it is worth knowing which side of that line your land falls on before anything is moved. If your land has been used, report it so the council can investigate, then arrange removal by a licensed waste carrier. Below are the borough's definitions, fines and duties, taken from its fly-tipping and enforcement pages. They show what the council will do and what it expects from you.

Richmond counts something as fly-tipping when there is at least the equivalent of one bin bag of waste. Anything smaller is littering. Fly-tips on public land can be reported online. Hazardous waste and spills have a two-hour target. If you know who did it, the council takes information in confidence on 020 8891 1411.

The penalties are steep. Council officers, and its enforcement contractor WISE, can issue a £1,000 on-the-spot fixed penalty for small-scale fly-tipping. Unpaid notices are likely to lead to prosecution after 14 days. Large-scale dumping can bring a £50,000 fine and/or 12 months in prison. In the Crown Court the fine is unlimited and the sentence up to five years. Vans used for dumping can be seized and destroyed, and both the driver and the owner can be prosecuted.

Private landowners carry a duty of their own. The council says land must be kept as secure as is practically possible, and that fly-tipping penalties can apply to anyone who allows dumping on their land. For clearance, it points owners to a licensed waste carrier or to its own quote.

When you hand over waste, keep proof of who took it. If waste you paid to have removed is found dumped, the council warns you risk a £5,000 fine and a criminal record without that evidence.