A business has been handed three fines for illegally disposing of commercial waste by Wiltshire Council.

The Devizes business, which has not been named, received three fixed penalty notices (FPNs) totalling £1,600.

These were £1,000 for illegally disposing of waste at the Devizes household recycling centre (HRC), £300 for failing to produce a waste carriers licence and £300 for failing to produce waste transfer documents.

The council’s enforcement team received reports of the business owner using a domestic vehicle to dispose of their commercial waste on multiple occasions. Evidence was provided to the team by operatives who manage the site.

The owner was interviewed under caution after they also failed to provide waste transfer notes for their business waste. 

The person stated that they did not have any formal waste collections in place for waste produced by the business.

Any waste they needed to discard was either deposited in their household waste and recycling bins or taken to the HRC. They also didn’t have a valid waste carrier’s licence to transport the waste.

Wiltshire Council did not name the business, explaining that FPNs are not a conviction in court.

Cllr Nick Holder, cabinet member for highways and street scene, said: “We’re continuing our mission to tackle illegal dumping of waste here in Wiltshire, and educating people is a part of that.

“Businesses have a legal duty to ensure that their waste is handled properly by licensed waste carriers, especially if they are giving it to someone else to dispose of. 

“In this case, it was a requirement for the business to have the appropriate waste licence and transfer notes as they were transporting the waste themselves.

“Businesses pay a non-domestic business rate which does not include waste collections, as the types and quantities of waste produced by businesses vary significantly. 

“A charge to all businesses wouldn’t be fair as those who produce little waste would end up paying for those who produce a lot.

“Our We’re Targeting Fly-tippers (WTF) Stop at Source (SAS) campaign highlights the importance of having the correct documentation including a waste carriers licence and waste transfer documents.

“It’s vital that businesses have an appropriate waste plan in place to ensure they’re not fly-tipping in our beautiful county.”

To report fly-tipping, visit wiltshire.gov.uk/fly-tipping.