Councils demand streamlined court process for fly-tipping offences – Local Government Lawyer

Posted May 15th, 2018 in costs, enforcement, local government, news, penalties, waste by sally

‘Councils have called on the Government to “urgently streamline” the courts and prosecution process for fly-tipping offences.’

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Local Government Lawyer, 14th May 2018

Source: www.localgovernmentlawyer.co.uk

Council fined £100k after vulnerable employee hit by reversing dust cart – Local Government Lawyer

Posted February 8th, 2018 in contracting out, fines, health & safety, local government, news, waste by sally

‘A London borough has been fined £100,000 after a vulnerable employee was crushed by a reversing dust cart, suffering significant injury. Waste company Veolia ES (UK) was meanwhile fined £250,000 for its role in the incident, which took place on 9 May 2016.’

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Local Government Lawyer, 6th February 2018

Source: www.localgovernmentlawyer.co.uk

DEFRA consults on allowing councils to fine people over fly-tipping – Local Government Lawyer

‘Local authorities could have the option of fining those whose waste ends up fly-tipped or illegally dumped rather than having to pursue them through the courts, under proposals put out for consultation by the Government today.’

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Local Government Lawyer, 15th January 2018

Source: www.localgovernmentlawyer.co.uk

Householders could face fines for using fly-tippers – The Guardian

Posted January 15th, 2018 in environmental protection, fines, local government, news, waste by sally

‘Households whose rubbish ends up being dumped illegally by unauthorised disposal companies could face fines under plans being considered by the government.’

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The Guardian, 15th January 2018

Source: www.theguardian.com

Plastic microbeads ban enters force in UK – The Guardian

Posted January 9th, 2018 in environmental protection, news, waste, water by sally

‘Plastic microbeads can no longer be used in cosmetics and personal care products in the UK, after a long-promised ban came into effect on Tuesday. The ban initially bars the manufacture of such products and a ban on sales will follow in July.’

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The Guardian, 9th January 2018

Source: www.theguardian.com

Green Space Borough-Wide Preventative Injunctions: The Next Stage – Hardwicke Chambers

Posted October 23rd, 2017 in commons, injunctions, news, planning, travellers, waste by sally

‘In his previous article of 26th July 2017 Steven discussed the potential benefits of obtaining borough-wide Injunctions preventing anyone entering green spaces with vehicles, (most commonly mobile homes and caravans) and then fly-tipping industrial scale waste. This article deals with the fact that it is becoming increasingly clear that, where one local authority obtains protection in the form of a borough-wide injunction to prevent incursions onto its green spaces, a neighbouring borough becomes vulnerable to an increase in incursions.’

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Hardwicke Chambers, 19th October 2017

Source: www.hardwicke.co.uk

The future approach: Using a preventative injunction to protect green spaces? – Hardwicke Chambers

Posted October 20th, 2017 in environmental protection, injunctions, local government, news, waste by sally

‘There are few sights more unpleasant when walking in our green and pleasant land than that of human waste i.e. faeces selfishly deposited on the ground without any thought for those that wish to enjoy the beauty of our green spaces. Added to the problem of personal waste, is domestic waste1 and industrial scale fly-tipping from contractors, the general public at large and travellers involved in a commercial waste business (for example, who dump waste such as asbestos, rubble, soil, and other hazardous materials) and you have a major waste issue up and down the country. Indeed, due to the fact that most authorities now charge for the disposal of domestic and business waste, fly tipping is a major problem as people do not want to pay for it to be disposed of properly.2 This is a particular problem for local authorities in the country whose primary responsibility is to ensure the safety of its green spaces for its residents and visitors.’

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Hardwicke Chambers, 16th October 2017

Source: www.hardwicke.co.uk

Birmingham refuse collectors win high court case against city council – The Guardian

Posted September 22nd, 2017 in industrial action, injunctions, local government, news, redundancy, waste by sally

‘Birmingham’s long-running bin strike has been suspended following a high court injunction preventing the city council from making refuse workers redundant.’

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The Guardian, 20th September 2017

Source: www.theguardian.com

Councils to be banned by ministers from using bin fines as means to generate income – Daily Telegraph

Posted September 5th, 2017 in anti-social behaviour, fines, local government, news, waste by sally

‘Councils are to be banned from using bin fines “as a means to generate income” after it emerged that families are risking large penalties and criminal records if they put out overflowing bins.’

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Daily Telegraph, 4th September 2017

Source: www.telegraph.co.uk

Ombudsman slams lack of oversight of outsourced waste collection services – Local Government Lawyer

Posted August 23rd, 2017 in complaints, contracting out, local government, news, ombudsmen, reports, waste by sally

‘Insufficient oversight of external contractors is one of the main issues behind a rising number of complaints about waste collection, the Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman (LGO) has said.’

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Local Government Lawyer, 23rd August 2017

Source: www.localgovernmentlawyer.co.uk

Old problem, new solution: local councils look to preserve their green spaces from incursion and illegal fly tipping – Hardwicke Chambers

Posted August 22nd, 2017 in commons, injunctions, local government, news, travellers, waste by sally

‘There are few local authorities in the country that haven’t experienced the enormous difficulties inherent in people setting up camp illegally in local parks and green spaces with their mobile homes and caravans, horses and dogs then leaving the area (voluntarily or otherwise) and landing the authority with an expensive bill for cleaning up.’

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Hardwicke Chambers, 26th July 2017

Source: www.hardwicke.co.uk

Council wins right to redact more info from variation agreement to waste contract – Local Government Lawyer

‘A county council has won an appeal to the First-Tier Tribunal over a decision by the Information Commissioner’s Office that it was not entitled to redact certain information in a variation agreement to a waste disposal contract.’

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Local Government Lawyer, 24th April 2017

Source: www.localgovernmentlawyer.co.uk

New litter strategy could see fly-tippers given community service – The Guardian

‘Fly-tippers could be forced to pick up litter as part of community service, the environment secretary, Andrea Leadsom, has said.’

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The Guardian, 9th April 2017

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

Mother’s £270 fly-tipping fine for putting rubbish out on wrong day outside neighbours’ homes – Daily Telegraph

Posted November 23rd, 2016 in fines, local government, news, waste by sally

‘A woman who left her household rubbish on the opposite side of the road in an attempt to avoid waiting two weeks for it to be collected has been hit with a £270 fine for fly-tipping.’

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Daily Telegraph, 22nd November 2016

Source: www.telegraph.co.uk

Developers fail in judicial review challenge over permission for recycling facility – Local Government Lawyer

Posted November 10th, 2016 in construction industry, costs, local government, news, planning, waste by sally

‘Two developers have lost their attempt to judicially review Hertfordshire County Council’s grant of planning permission for a recycling site.’

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Local Government Lawyer, 10th November 2016

Source: www.localgovernmentlawyer.co.uk

Coffee chain fined £160k for leaving rubbish bags on London streets – Local Government Lawyer

Posted August 15th, 2016 in costs, environmental protection, fines, litter, news, waste by sally

‘Starbucks has been fined more than £160,000 after two stores in central London repeatedly left rubbish bags on a busy pavement outside of normal collection times.’

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Local Government Lawyer, 12th August 2016

Source: www.localgovernmentlawyer.co.uk

Record sentence handed down in environmental prosecution – Local Government Lawyer

Posted July 22nd, 2016 in environmental protection, fraud, news, sentencing, waste by sally

‘A Leeds waste operator has been jailed for seven years and six months for £2.2m fraud involving recycled electrical waste following an Environment Agency investigation.’

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Local Government Lawyer, 19th July 2016

Source: www.localgovernmentlawyer.co.uk

Derby residents consider legal action over fly plague – BBC News

Posted June 8th, 2016 in animals, environmental health, news, waste by sally

‘Residents plagued by flies from a recycling centre said they hope to take legal action against the Environment Agency and the site operator.’

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BBC News, 7th June 2015

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

Odd laws you may unknowingly break – BBC News

‘An 800-year-old dress code banning women from taking off their hats may finally be overturned later in Norfolk. But what other old-fashioned, or just plain strange, rules are in place around England?’

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BBC News, 31st May 2016

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

Money down the drain – Nearly Legal

Posted May 25th, 2016 in costs, easements, housing, local government, news, nuisance, waste, water by sally

‘Nuisance cases are tricky. There is a lot to establish for causation, for liability and for loss. This case is perhaps a cautionary tale about the need to be constantly alert to changes in the facts and expert opinion as they emerge over the course of the case. It is also an object example of litigation between neighbours that got completely, astonishingly, out of hand in relation to the initial objectives.’

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Nearly Legal, 25th May 2016

Source: www.nearlylegal.co.uk