Flytipping warning to landowners

Wigan landowners are being warned not to be duped into storing waste on their land without checking if it is legal or not.
The bales of Blakeley's waste dumped in OswaldtwistleThe bales of Blakeley's waste dumped in Oswaldtwistle
The bales of Blakeley's waste dumped in Oswaldtwistle

The warning comes from Environment Agency after a spate of incidents across the region in recent years, of which one of the biggest was caused by a borough company.

Businesses are being targeted by crooks looking to dispose of waste by dumping it in warehouses, mills and some open spaces. They can be very convincing in persuading landowners to let them to use their land and are able to fill the sites with waste which would cost hundreds of thousands of pounds to clear, ultimately leaving the landowner with an expensive clearance bill.

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The EA is urging landowners to use reputable agents and brokers, carry out suitable checks before allowing potential criminals to use building or property. Without these measures it could end up costing thousands of pounds to clear up.

In 2015 Wigan-based Blakeley’s Waste Management admitted to dumping 13,000 tons of waste on a site in Oswaldtwistle. A judge hit it with fines and costs of £37,000.

EA’s Steve Molyneux said: “It’s crucial that all businesses understand their duty of care for the waste they produce, who they allow to transport it and ultimately where it goes. Too often, when these responsibilities are misunderstood or ignored, we see the impact of waste crime where waste is deliberately dumped on land with no permit.”