News releases

Basingstoke man fined after his waste ended up being fly-tipped

 
A man who arranged for waste to be collected that was later fly-tipped must pay a fine and costs totalling £558.00.
 
Jason Hunt, of Constable Close in Basingstoke, was prosecuted by Basingstoke and Deane Borough Council after waste was found dumped in a field near Jersey Close in Popley in October 2020.
 
Mr Hunt pleaded guilty at Basingstoke Magistrates’ Court on Tuesday 28 March 2023 to failing in his duty of care. The Magistrates ordered him to pay a fine of £374, with £137 towards prosecution costs, and a £37 victim surcharge.
 
Mr Hunt admitted to arranging for the waste be cleared from a property where his company Elite Kitchens was carrying out a kitchen re-fit and failing to obtain a written transfer note from the waste carrier. The waste included old kitchen units, a large yellow builder’s bag and old appliances.
 
The council's Head of Environment and Community Services Tom Payne said: “This case demonstrates once again that we are all, whether residents or businesses, responsible for what happens to our waste.
 
“When hiring a waste removal business to clear items we must check they have the appropriate licences and paperwork to dispose of the waste lawfully. Always ask to see a waste carrier’s licence and get a traceable note with full details of the company and waste being taken away or, as in this case, a prosecution could follow.
 
"By doing these checks and using legitimate services, we can all help to prevent this type of criminal behaviour and stop our communities being blighted by dumped rubbish.”
 
Offences of fly-tipping carry a maximum sentence of five years’ imprisonment at Crown Court. Since May 2018 the council has convicted 50 individuals and companies for fly-tipping and related waste offences, demonstrating the council’s continued zero tolerance approach to this type of environmental crime.