A man who couldn’t explain how his household rubbish came to be fly-tipped in two separate locations has been ordered to pay more than £1,300. He was one of two people taken to court by a council – along with a woman who became “overwhelmed” by the rubbish in her house.
Constantin Barsan, 34, of Newton Road, Cadbury Heath was prosecuted by South Gloucestershire Council after ten refuse sacks of waste were fly-tipped at Southey Park in Kingswood. A further three refuse sacks fly-tipped at Mill Lane in Warmley.
Bristol Magistrates Court heard that the waste was found dumped on two occasions in May 2024 and contained several items of packaging and correspondence addressed to Barsan and his partner at Trinity Court in Kingswood and Newton Road, Cadbury Heath. When interviewed, he acknowledged that it related to him and his wife, and that it was his waste.
He told the council he and his had family moved into their new home at Newton Road in April 2024 and had assorted items of waste to dispose of. One a date he couldn’t remember, he said he saw a waste collector with a van doing waste collections in his street and agreed £25 to take away several bags of waste.
He said he only used the person once and did not dispose of any items himself, but was unable to explain how his waste subsequently turned up at two separate locations, two weeks apart. Barsan was not given any receipt or waste transfer note, could not describe the waste collector or vehicle used, and did not record the person’s name, phone number or vehicle registration number.
He appeared at Bristol Magistrates Court on November 25 and pleaded guilty to failing in his duty of care regarding waste disposal. He was handed a £150 fine and ordered to pay £1,163 in costs and a £60 victim surcharge, making a total of £1,373.
Woman ‘overwhelmed’ by waste
In a separate case, a Kingswood woman was ordered to pay £875 in fines and costs after two fly-tips were discovered near each other on Fairford Close, Kingswood. Rebecca Storror, 40, of Cranham Close, also appeared at Bristol Magistrates’ Court on November 25.
The court heard that on 21 August 2024 two fly-tips were discovered within 40ft of each other at Fairford Close, Kingswood, described as a hot spot for fly-tipping in the area.
Eight refuse sacks full of ripped cardboard and used animal bedding were removed along with boxes and bags of household waste, a rug, and a dismantled pet cage. Correspondence addressed to Rebecca Storror was found amongst the rubbish.
When interviewed, Storror admitted that the waste from both had originated from her address. She said she struggled to deal with her household waste, which was overwhelming her, and she had assorted waste stored up the side of her driveway and rear garden.
She claimed the fly-tipped waste had been stored on her driveway and one day in August when sat in her front garden she was approached by two unknown males in a truck who offered to remove the waste for £40 in cash.
She could not describe the men or the vehicle, did not note any names or the vehicle registration plate, and was not given a receipt for the transaction.
She pleaded guilty to failing her waste duty of care responsibilities and was handed a £40 fine, ordered to pay £819 in costs and a £16 victim surcharge.
Fly-tipping in park ‘unwelcome’
Councillor Sean Rhodes, cabinet member responsible for environmental enforcement at South Gloucestershire Council, said: “I’m really pleased that we have secured another two successful prosecutions against those committing waste offences in the area. South Gloucestershire Council takes fly-tipping and illegal waste disposal very seriously as we know it can have a serious impact on the environment and communities.
“It was especially unwelcome to see fly tipping in Southey Park, a well used and well-loved open green space in Kingswood. The council recognises the value that our parks bring to the wellbeing of residents, and will protect them by seeking to prosecute those who fly-tip in them.
“We all have a responsibility to ensure that our waste is disposed of in a responsible and lawful manner. If you employ a third party to take your waste away you must always ask to see a waste carriers license and make a note of their details, or you could end up being found liable if the waste is illegally dumped. It would be easy to imagine that your responsibility for your rubbish disappears when you pay someone to take it away, but you would be wrong to do so.”
How to dispose of rubbish correctly
Residents and businesses are advised to only give their rubbish to an Environment Agency registered waste carrier. Household waste can be taken to the council’s Sort It recycling centres where it can be disposed of at no cost www.southglos.gov.uk/sortitcentres
Residents who see illegal fly-tipping are encouraged to report it by contacting the council’s StreetCare helpdesk on 01454 868000, emailing [email protected] or visiting www.southglos.gov.uk/flytipping