Clampdown call over 5535 fly-tip reports
The Comrie Pipe Band AGM will take place in the Annex of Comrie Parish Church from 7pm on Thursday, February 15.
Organisers have said that all band members and supporters are welcome to attend.
Members of Strathearn Horticultural Society are hosting a coffee morning in Muthill Village Hall on Saturday, February 24.
The event starts at 10am and runs until noon.
It will include all the usual stalls and a raffle.
A Freedom of Information (FOI) request has revealed 5535 flytipping reports were made to Perth and Kinross Council between 2019/20 and 2022/23 but none were reported to the procurator fiscal.
And just five fixed-penalty notices were issued over this time.
However, the council has since developed a plan to improve its response to fly-tipping, reporting nine incidents to the police and issuing 15 fixed-penalty tickets in the four months between August 31 and December 31, 2023.
The Liberal Democrats – who made the FOI request – want authorities to “clamp down on this disgusting behaviour”.
Strathtay Liberal Democrat councillor Claire McLaren has called for measures to help those whose properties or businesses are “blighted by other people’s rubbish” and left to clear up the mess.
Bailie McLaren said: “Fly-tippers are increasingly brazen. From country road lay-bys to fields and forests, Perth and Kinross is blighted by other people’s rubbish.
“It is ugly, dirty and smelly – yet only a tiny fraction of cases in Perth and Kinross ever result in a fine or trip to court.”
The Liberal Democrats would like to see repeat offenders “feel the force of the law” with the introduction of a restitution order.
Bailie McLaren added: “More needs to be done to clamp down on this disgusting behaviour and to ensure that repeat offenders feel the force of the law.
“Alongside a robust fixed-penalty system, Perth and Kinross Liberal Democrats want to see the introduction of a new restitution order, enabling the courts to require contributions from offenders to cleaning up their mess.
“These contributions could then go towards a new national fund which could support land managers and all those who bear the brunt of fly-tipping in Perth and Kinross.”
Perth and Kinross Council now has a dedicated member of staff to tackle fly-tipping. This has resulted in more fixed-penalty notices being issued and people being reported to the police and procurator fiscal, since the period highlighted in the FOI request.
A PKC spokesperson said: “Perth and Kinross Council investigates every report of fly-tipping we receive, and we prosecute significant cases in court whenever we can. We also have the power to issue fixed-penalty notices of £500 for smaller cases.
“Our Safer Communities Team, Waste Team and wider Environment Service has developed an operational plan to work closely together to improve the council’s response to fly-tipping.
“As part of this, and as a result of additional funding agreed by the council to tackle fly-tipping, a dedicated member of staff has recently been recruited to prevent fly- tipping and pursue offenders.
“As a result, between August 31 and December 31, 2023:
• 74 reports of fly- tipping were received
• 51 cases were accepted for formal investigation by our fly- tipping coordinator ( the rest could not be classified as fly- tipping after initial investigation).
• 15 fixed-penalty tickets were issued.
• Two people were reported to Police Scotland for a total of nine incidents of fly-tipping.
• Two people have been reported to the procurator fiscal.
• Four warning letters have been issued.
• 74 sites have been restored.
“We have provided training and awareness raising for key staff and elected members, and we recently launched a fly- tipping prevention communications campaign which is ongoing.
“Our approach will be improved and developed so that we continue to produce positive results and deter flytippers.
“There is no excuse for fly-tipping. Perth and Kinross provides several ways to get rid of bulky waste, including at our recycling centres and through special waste uplifts.
“If people use a private contractor to uplift waste they should make sure they are registered with SEPA as a waste carrier.”
Anyone who wishes to report an incident of fly- tipping in Perth and Kinross can do so online via the PKC website or by phoning 01738 476476.