A Chippenham homeowner has been fined £1,000 after leaving a large quantity of building waste on the public highway despite clear warnings from Wiltshire Council.

Wiltshire Council’s Environmental Enforcement Team investigated following a report of fly-tipped building materials outside a property in Chippenham. Officers discovered a substantial amount of waste – approximately equivalent to a full skip load – placed on the road and pavement directly outside the property.

The property owner, who was renovating the premises, had previously been advised by the council’s Highways team not to store waste on the highway and to use a licensed skip for any further deposits. Although the waste was initially removed after this advice, the person continued to place waste on the highway, despite being warned not to.

Following an interview, a fixed penalty notice (FPN) of £1,000 was issued to the property owner responsible. The FPN has since been paid in full. As an FPN is not a conviction in court, the person cannot be named.

Cllr Martin Smith, Cabinet Member for Highways, Street Scene and Flooding, said: “If you’re carrying out building work, please take the time to research the correct way to dispose of building waste. Hire a skip or use a licensed waste carrier, don’t just assume that leaving waste on the highway is acceptable. It’s illegal, it can cause a safety risk for pedestrians, cyclists and drivers and it can also lead to other problems such as blocked drains or encouraging further fly-tips.

“Our teams work hard to keep Wiltshire clean, and we will continue to investigate and penalise those who undermine that effort.”

Anyone caught fly-tipping can be ordered to pay a £1,000 fixed penalty notice or be taken to court, where they could face an unlimited fine or imprisonment. If anyone spots a fly-tip in the county, or someone disposing of their waste illegally, they should report it using MyWilts online reporting – Wiltshire Council.

To find out more about how the council is tackling fly-tipping in Wiltshire and how to report fly-tipping, visit: https://www.wiltshire.gov.uk/fly-tipping.

To find out more about placing building materials or skips on any part of the highway, visit: Scaffolding, building materials, skips, and cherry pickers – Wiltshire Council