As part of the ongoing struggle to keep our communities free from rubbish, the council’s street cleansing team had to remove and dispose of a disgraceful amount of dumped material – at a cost of £906 of tax payer’s money.

The unsightly act of anti-social behaviour (pictured) at Pembroke in the Calderwood area of East Kilbride was reported to the council on Wednesday 1 February.

Fly-tipping isn't just selfish it is also illegal and culprits can face a prison sentence or a fine of up to £40,000. The council is actively investigating this incident.

This is not a unique occurrence – more than 220 instances of fly tipping have had to be removed already in 2023. Last year there were more than 3000 fly tipping incidents, all of which had to be removed at  huge expense to the council, whose resources could have been better served benefitting communities across South Lanarkshire.

Councillor Robert Brown, the chair of the council’s Community and Enterprise Resources Committee said: “It is again very disappointing that we have had to waste so much time and money clearing up rubbish that could have and should have been disposed of responsibly.

“Our teams work hard to tackle the ongoing fly tipping problem in our communities. But the reality is that we need everyone to help us by reporting this unwanted behaviour carried out by a minority of people who seem to think the rules don’t apply to them.

“This costs the public services time and money that could be better spent on other things. Neither the council nor local communities are prepared to tolerate this, and we aim to stamp it out.” 

The issue in Pembroke is currently being investigated by the council’s Environmental Crime Team to determine the source of the waste and then issue a Fixed Penalty Notice to those responsible.

The amount of dumped material would suggest either a house clearance or multiple deposits from various properties. So the council is urging local residents who know who did it to report this Fly-tipping online or phone 0303 123 1020.

The council also has four dedicated mobile CCTV units operated solely for environmental anti-social behaviour such as rubbish, and fly tipping. CCTV acts as a deterrent but also captures evidence. A further 10 CCTV units are also placed at hotspots relating to general anti-social behaviour.

Head of Facilities, Waste and Grounds, Kevin Carr, said: “Fly-tipping has grown in recent years, causing a negative impact on our health and wellbeing, the economy, and our natural environment as well as diverting council resources in this challenging financial climate.

“We are working with all departments of the council and our partners to encourage personal responsibility and ultimately change the behaviour of those responsible.

“But we cannot do this on our own. It is time for everyone to play their part in tackling these issues to make South Lanarkshire a cleaner place to live, work and visit.

“Fixed penalty notices (FPN’s) are issued when we identify the person responsible for dumping material.

“When FPN’s are not paid the offence may be reported to the Procurator Fiscal.”

Penalties for anyone found guilty of the offence can be issued with an FPN of £200 or could potentially be sentenced to imprisonment and risk a fine of up to £40,000.