Council issues statement after Mottram woman fined for flytipping

Tameside Council have urged people to be more cautious when asking others to remove waste on their behalf after a Mottram woman was taken to court.

Candice Parkins, of John Kennedy Road, Mottram, was ordered to pay £618 after several black bags of household waste was dumped in a rural lane in Hyde.

Tameside Magistrates’ Court heard on 1 July 2025 that waste enforcement officers from Tameside Council attended Apple St, Hyde, on 23 July 2024 to investigate reports of flytipping.

Ms Parkins was given the opportunity to pay a Fixed Penalty Notice and discharge her liability for the offence, or alternatively come in for an interview. 

She did not pay the Fixed Penalty Notice, and did not respond to the council's reminder letters that were sent to her address. 

Ms Parkins was originally scheduled to appear at Tameside Magistrates' Court on 29th January 2025, but failed to appear, leading to a warrant being issued for her arrest. 

On 1st July, Ms Parkins pleaded guilty to failing in her duty of care to ensure the waste was removed by an authorised waste carrier – an offence under Section 34 of the Environmental Protection Act 1990.

Speaking to the court, Ms Parkins said she had contacted her ex-partner to arrange the waste removal, after complaints from her landlord and neighbours. 

Her ex-partner messaged someone online, but did not check to see if the person was a registered waste carrier - Ms Parkins was unable to provide any further detail on who removed the waste. 

Ms Parkins was ordered to pay a total of £618, which included a £120 fine, £450 in costs and a victim surcharge of £48. 

Tameside Council has urged people in the borough to complete checks when asking others to remove waste on their behalf, including recording details of their business and vehicle; taking a photograph or copy of the carrier's waste license or site permit; and keeping a record of the checks made including the operators registration, permit or exemption number, along with a receipt.

A directory of authorised waste carriers is also available on the Gov.uk website. 

Executive Member for Environmental Services and Neighbourhoods said Cllr Laura Boyle said: “This case serves as a reminder that all residents are legally required to ensure their waste is disposed of responsibly and we urge people to always make sure they use a licensed waste carrier to dispose of their waste.

“Flytipping is a blight on our communities and we will always take enforcement action where we find evidence of those responsible. In 2023/24 we gave out 236 fixed penalty notices for fly-tipping – more than anywhere else in the north west. This is part of a wider approach where we hold regular days of action to investigate and clear flytipping and talk directly to residents about issues of concern to them.”