A Patchway man has been handed a 12 month community order and ordered to pay £200 in compensation after South Gloucestershire Council prosecuted him for waste offences following the discovery of fly-tipped bin bags.
Liam Budds, 30, of Coniston Road, Patchway first appeared at Bristol Magistrates Court on Monday 9 December 2024 where he pleaded guilty to fly-tipping and transporting waste without the correct paperwork. The case was adjourned for reports and sentencing until Monday 20 January where he was handed a 12 month Community Order and ordered to pay £200 in compensation to the council. Budds was also given a 9 month mental health treatment requirement including 10 days rehabilitation activity.
The court heard that on 1 February 2024 a fly-tip consisting of 10 black bin bags full of household waste was discovered strewn along Commonmead Lane in Old Sodbury.
Documentation in the name of a Yate resident was found amongst the waste. The resident provided a witness statement stating that in early January 2024 she posted a request on Facebook for recommendations of someone that did rubbish clearances. Liam Budds responded to this request and the pair exchanged messages before Budds subsequently attended the Yate address on 31 January 2024 and removed a quantity of black bags of household waste for the agreed price of £40.
On Wednesday 19 June 2024 Budds was interviewed under caution by environmental enforcement officers at the council offices in Yate. During the interview Budds was shown images of the waste and messages along with a screenshot of a post from Liam Budds’ Facebook page dated 3 January 2024 advertising that he is undertaking rubbish removals. Budds admitted to removing the rubbish with a friend, using that friend’s van. He stated this was not a business, but a service provided to friends with costs to cover petrol money. He stated all waste would have been taken to the recycling centre in Yate and the van belonged to his friend, who may have dumped the waste when Budds was not with him.
Budds could not provide any details of his friend or the van at this time but said he was willing to obtain them for the investigation. Despite numerous requests, Budds has not provided any details of his friend or the van.
On 13 August a written requirement to provide South Gloucestershire Council with a Registered Waste Carrier’s Licence and Waste Transfer Notes (valid between 30 January 2024 and 7 February 2024) was sent to Budds. He was required to produce these documents when attending for a further interview on 21 August. Budds failed to attend the interview on 21 August, and again on 6 September and 13 September, and did not provide any of the requested information and documentation.
Councillor Sean Rhodes, cabinet member responsible for environmental enforcement at South Gloucestershire Council, said: “I hope this latest prosecution acts as a deterrent to anyone who fails in their duty of care for waste disposal. There is no excuse for fly-tipping and harming the environment.
“Residents are advised to be wary of businesses or people advertising waste clearances on social media sites such as Facebook. There are a number of legitimate options for waste removal, including the council’s large household waste collection service. If you hire a third-party to dispose of your waste, always ask for a copy of the company’s waste carrier registration certificate and ask where the waste is being taken.
“Prosecutions like these protect our environment and create cleaner and safer places for our communities. These are key priorities of the Liberal Democrat/ Labour partnership.”
Residents and businesses are advised to only give their rubbish to an Environment Agency registered waste carrier.
You can carry out these simple steps to make sure your waste is disposed of legally:
• Ask for a copy of the company’s waste carrier registration certificate and ask where the waste is being taken. Legitimate firms will be happy to provide this information.
• Do not be tempted to use people offering cheap waste clearance on sites such as Facebook and Gumtree unless you have confirmed that they are registered with the Environment Agency
• Check whether the waste carrier is registered by calling the Environment Agency on 08708 506506 or by checking on their website https://environment.data.gov.uk/public-register/view/search-waste-carriers-brokers
• Ask for a registered trading address and contact telephone number for the trader and get a receipt.
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 streetcare@southglos.gov.uk or visiting www.southglos.gov.uk/flytipping
