Council fights back against Havering fly-tippers

Aveley Road, Little Gerpins Lane and Sunnings Lane

Fly-tipping in the area has seen a major decline since a joint operation, involving officers from Havering and Newham Councils, Environment Agency, police and HMRC Officers, which targeted a site on Aveley Road on 20 December.

Since the raid on the premises, there have been no further incidents of large-scale fly-tipping in the area and the actions taken by the Council appear to have disrupted a well-organised and illegal waste operation. The reduction in organised environment crime has saved the Council around £50,000 in fly-tip clean-up costs since December.

The Council has also installed barriers and bollards at Little Gerpins Lane and Sunnings Lane, Upminster, that will prevent further incidents of large-scale fly-tipping in the area.     

Background

The area around Little Gerpins Lane and Sunnings Lane had become the target of large-scale fly-tipping of industrial waste. The fly-tipping was occurring practically every night and was well-organised environment crime.

Following local intelligence, a vehicle yard in Aveley Road was suspected of being the base for the vehicles involved in the fly-tipping activity. A planned raid on the premises saw five vehicles including cars and a skip lorry being seized on suspicion of illegal waste activity. Three of the vehicles were later destroyed.

Whilst no one was arrested at the scene – a number of offences were identified and investigations are ongoing.      

Grenfell Park, Romford

Havering Council has crushed a number of vehicles linked to a traveller incursion and fly-tipping in Grenfell Park. Environment officers seized the vehicles after fly-tippers dumped a pile of household and building waste in the park in November last year.

Investigations to track down the fly-tippers  are on-going.

Councillor Osman Dervish, Cabinet Member for Environment, said:

“Fly-tipping is a serious crime which has a detrimental effect on residents, businesses and the local environment. Each year we’re left with an unnecessary clean-up bill of around one million pounds. This is money which could be better spent on critical frontline services and improving the lives of our most vulnerable residents.

“The Council would like to thank all the residents and businesses who are helping us to tackle this common threat, by coming forward with vital information. We ask everyone to continue to report any suspected fly-tipping to help us drive out organised waste gangs from Havering .”