Under fire fly tipping signs defended by councillor

Two parish council clerks have hit out at plans to put up warning signs to deter fly tippers in areas where others have been caught.
Coun Richard Wright pictured with a fly tipping sign. EMN-160725-183543001Coun Richard Wright pictured with a fly tipping sign. EMN-160725-183543001
Coun Richard Wright pictured with a fly tipping sign. EMN-160725-183543001

The move was recently announced by North Kesteven District Council (NKDC).

But in emails shared with The Standard, parish clerk for Leadenham Hilary Proctor and clerk for Welbourn Malcolm McBeath say there would be less need for the signs if two local household waste sites had not been closed to the public by county council cuts.

Mrs Proctor pointed out during a public meeting at Navenby earlier this year on whether to close the recycling centres at Leadenham and Whisby NKDC representatives had not been concerned that fly tipping might rise. She was interested to know if NKDC’s fly tipping prosecution costs had risen since Leadenham and Whisby tips were closed.

Mr McBeath said he got the same impression at the meeting. He branded the signs an ‘absurd and naive’ way of spending public money.

Coun Richard Wright, executive board member for waste and enforcement, was at the public meeting. In response to the emails (in a message also issued to The Standard), he said: “I did not state that there would be no increase in fly tipping. I said that information from other sites that have closed does not support this view.

“I did make the point that the closure of the HWRC would not turn law abiding people into criminals.”

Coun Wright added when prosecuting they seek to recover investigation and legal costs. He said the potentially hefty fines were a significant deterrent and that fly tipping cases had fallen slightly in North Kesteven in the last three years.