Landlord Gets £2K Fly-Tipping Fine Instead of Booking £12.50 Collection

February 23, 2017 by Southend Borough Council

A landlord who dumped two mattresses outside one of his rented properties has been fined nearly £2,000, when they could have been collected for just £12.50.

Mr Hon Shu Pang, the landlord of 107a Southchurch Road was witnessed fly-tipping a mattress on 21st October 2016 and then caught on CCTV on 3rd November 2016 doing the same thing.

He was fined £1,833.20 (made up of a £1300 fine, Costs of £468.20, and a £65 victim surcharge) at Southend Magistrates Court on Wednesday 8th February. The first offence was witnessed by a member of the public and the second offence was caught on council CCTV.

Cllr Tony Cox, Executive Councillor for Waste, says: “I am very pleased that such a large fine has been handed out. Veolia offer a cheap and efficient bulky waste collection and so there is absolutely no excuse for fly-tipping. These two mattresses could have been collected for just £12.50 and instead Mr Pang has ended up with an £1,800 fine.

“Fly-tipping is a blight on the local community, and I hope this serves as a warning. Where we can gain evidence, and we are very thankful to the member of the public who provided a statement as part of our evidence, we will take enforcement action.”

In another case heard on the same day, Mr Robert Crow was fined £317.80 for failing to comply with a notice requesting removal of a number of waste items in his front and rear gardens at 19 Devereux Road, Southend-on-Sea, by 2nd September 2016. This was under Section 215 of the Town and Country Planning Act. He was fined £100, with costs of £187.80, and a £30 victim surcharge.

Special collections for items like mattresses and bulky items can be arranged by calling 01702 215006 and selecting option 1 to speak to Veolia.

A greengrocer was also fined again after ignoring repeated warnings and a previous notice and prosecution in October 2016 for putting items for sale outside his shop but blocking the public pavement. Mr K Ali who runs The Greenhouse at 121 High Street, Southend-on-Sea received a £738.80 fine (£300 fine, £200 for breach of previous fine, costs of £208.80 and a £30 victim surcharge).

Cllr Tony Cox, says: “Food, chairs, tables and A-Boards spilling out across the High Street are unsightly, and create dangerous obstructions for all pedestrians, but particularly wheelchair users, the blind and the visually impaired. This is the second prosecution in this case, following the issuing of a removal notice in April 2016, and a successful prosecution in October 2016 which has also since been ignored.

“The initial notice and prosecution followed several warnings to Mr Ali to stop this practise and a number of complaints from the BID, ward councillors and other businesses who wanted enforcement action taken.”

The offence falls under Section 137 of the Highways Act 1980.