Lay-by closure to combat fly-tipping blight in Newark and Sherwood

Bollards have been installed along the lay-by, preventing vehicle access to opportunistic fly-tippers. Meanwhile, new plants along the roadside behind the bollards will boost the look of the area and improve biodiversity.

This area was identified by the District Council as a fly-tipping hotspot and the change here is just one of a number of actions as part of its anti fly-tipping campaign, Not in Newark and Sherwood. Working with partners including Nottinghamshire County Council and Nottinghamshire Police, the District Council plans to make the legal disposal of waste as easy as possible, while making the illegal disposal as difficult as possible.

More CCTV cameras in hotspots are being installed, while another fly-tip hotspot has also been ear marked for closure to entirely prevent entry for vehicles.

A pilot trial, allowing larger vehicles to the Newark Household Waste and Recycling Centre is set for the coming months, to make it even easier for individuals to get rid of waste, legally.

Councillor Roger Jackson, Chairman of the District Council’s Leisure and Environment Committee, said: “Fly-tipping is not welcome in our district and we are using everything at our disposal to tackle this ongoing problem. The lay-by closure on Grange Lane is just one of a number of actions that we are embarking on throughout the campaign as well as continuing with the toughest enforcement action on offenders.

“In the last year, we have seen a number of successful prosecutions for fly-tipping offences and we will always seek the toughest punishments possible where the evidence supports a prosecution.

“Our message continues to be this: if you’ve waste to dispose of, do it properly – take it to the Household Waste Recycling Centres in Newark or Bilsthorpe, or use the Council’s own low-cost bulky item collection service.”

Councillor Neil Clarke MBE, Chairman of Transport and Environment Committee at Nottinghamshire County Council, said: “We’re proud to be working in partnership with the District Council to tackle the issue of fly-tipping head on. Since the bollards have been installed, we’re pleased to report that fly-tipping in the area has stopped. It’s a great result but at the same time it’s sad that we have to go to such lengths to stop people dumping waste illegally.  We want to keep Nottinghamshire a beautiful place to live and work and we will continue to support district councils to put a stop to fly-tipping in any way we can.”

This news follows the District Council’s plans to crack down even harder on the perpetrators of environmental crimes such as fly-tipping, by increasing the number of people able to issue fines to those who flout the rules.

Not in Newark and Sherwood was originally launched in late 2019 with the aim of reducing the number of fly-tips in the district, with the equivalent weight of 30 double decker buses being dumped in Newark and Sherwood every year.

During the financial year 2020-21, the Council removed 1,854 fly-tips with a combined weight of more than 500 tonnes.

Since the start of April 21, 491 fly-tips had been removed, weighing more than 160 tonnes.

Fly-tipping, the illegal disposal of household, industrial, commercial or other “controlled” waste without a waste management licence, has been highlighted as a particular problem for Newark and Sherwood because it is covered by large areas of open countryside.  In many cases the Council suspects offenders are rogue waste operators who work for cash and do not operate with the necessary licenses.

If you witness someone fly-tipping please leave the evidence where it is and report it to the Council or by calling 01636 650 000 as soon as possible. Please make a note of any vehicle registrations and any other identifying evidence.

Fly-tipping is a crime under the Environmental Protection Act which carries a possible fine of up to £50,000 and/or up to five years in prison.  

If you need to find legitimate registered waste carriers in your area, please use the Environment Agency's register: https://environment.data.gov.uk/public-register/view/search-waste-carriers-brokers

Alternatively, use the District Council’s bulky and electrical waste collection service for which there is a small charge, or for larger quantities it can provide you with an individual quote.