No increase in flytipping in Falkirk district despite introduction of council uplift charges

Members of Falkirk Council’s scrutiny committee heard the number of bulky uplifts had dropped from 8248 between April and December 2018 to 3292 in the same months last year.

But despite the substantial drop there has been no increase in the problem of flytipping, officers assured councillors.

However, flytipping is still costing Falkirk Council tens of thousands of pounds every year to keep on top of – and the council’s enforcement team will now work seven days a week, rather than five, to tackle the problem.

The enforcement team are responsible for town centres and other ‘hot spots’ to crack down on litter, dog fouling and fly tipping.

The department also has a new mobile CCTV camera to help catch the perpetrators.

A new system that can more accurately weigh the rubbish dumped shows that it cost the council £30,093 in disposal costs between April and November last year.

But when asked if the additional charges for uplifts had led to more flytipping, waste manager Douglas 
Gardiner replied that they had not.

However, Grangemouth councillor Allyson Black was unconvinced by their assertion that flytipping had not increased.

She said: “I don’t know how you can think there isn’t an increase in fly tipping.

“I see it every day – as you’re walking about you see a suite here and a mattress there – and I see it on social media.

“I don’t know how 5000 items of rubbish can just disappear!”

The report says the council is keen to get residents on board to reduce the amount of overall waste.

If items being dumped – for example sofas, wardrobes and beds – are in good enough condition, they are asking people to think about giving it to a charity.

The council is now meeting with 13 organisations to see if they could work in a more co-ordinated way that would not only reduce waste but also help those most in need.

Bonnybridge councillor Niall Coleman was concerned a ‘trusted trader’ scheme suggested by a panel of 
councillors last year was still “quite far in the future”.

He was looking for assurances that the scheme would soon be operational, so people could check on firms offering to collect and get rid of rubbish.

The committee heard it will become part of the council’s ‘Buy With Confidence’ scheme, administered by the council’s trading standards team and starting next April at the latest.

Businesses will soon be able to pay electronically at Kinneil Recycling Centre – at the moment they have to visit a hub before they use the site.

Managers are still looking at the problem in Roughmute where internet connection is not currently good enough.